Feature Request: Adding Buffer Zone Function to OSMnx about osmnx HOT 1 CLOSED

Thanks for using OSMnx.

The current problem is that when using OSMnx's graph_from_polygon (and potentially other graph functions) function, there is no straightforward way to specify a buffer zone in meters around the polygon. This limitation makes it challenging to include the street network data within a specified buffer, which is essential in cases where users need a more comprehensive representation of the network, especially in areas near the polygon boundary.

Users can currently do this with 2 lines of code, so we're probably not going to add this to the API. Historically, some piecemeal buffering functionality used to exist for some OSMnx functions, but was deprecated and will be fully removed from the codebase when v2.0 comes out. The consistent simple expectation is that users just request the study site that they actually want, since study site definitions are infinitely and easily adjustable. But as you rightly mention, the artificial periphery problem is essential to keep in mind in all spatial network analysis.

Sample code to do this now and in the future:

import osmnx as ox
geom = ox.geocode_to_gdf("Piedmont, CA, USA")["geometry"].iloc[0]

# buffer the geometry by 100 meters
geom_proj, crs = ox.projection.project_geometry(geom)
geom_buff, _ = ox.projection.project_geometry(geom_proj.buffer(100), crs=crs, to_latlong=True)

# model the driving network within the buffered geometry
G = ox.graph_from_polygon(geom_buff, network_type="drive")

from osmnx.