diff --git a/prettymaps/draw.py b/prettymaps/draw.py
index e5fcb6c..4feecbd 100644
--- a/prettymaps/draw.py
+++ b/prettymaps/draw.py
@@ -528,13 +528,21 @@ def create_background(
         Tuple[BaseGeometry, float, float, float, float, float, float]: background geometry, bounds, width and height
     """
     # Create background
-    background_pad = 1.1
+    # pad is the value with which to scale the perimeter to get the background.
+    # dilate is the value in metter to add to the perimeter to get the background.
+    # the pad scaling is applied after the dilate addition.
+
+    background_pad = 1
     if "background" in style and "pad" in style["background"]:
         background_pad = style["background"].pop("pad")
 
+    background_dilate = 0
+    if "background" in style and "dilate" in style["background"]:
+        background_dilate = style["background"].pop("dilate")
+
     background = shapely.affinity.scale(
         box(*
-            shapely.ops.unary_union(ox.project_gdf(gdfs["perimeter"]).geometry).bounds),
+            shapely.ops.unary_union(ox.project_gdf(gdfs["perimeter"]).geometry.buffer(background_dilate)).bounds),
         background_pad,
         background_pad,
     )
@@ -801,10 +809,12 @@ def plot(
     update_preset=None,
     # Custom postprocessing function on layers
     postprocessing=None,
-    # Circular boundary? Default: square
+    # Circular boundary? Default: rectangular
     circle=None,
-    # Radius for circular or square boundary
+    # Radius for circular or rectangular boundary
     radius=None,
+    # Ratio width/height for rectangular boundary. Radius is the height of the rectangle. Default: square
+    ratio=1,
     # Dilate boundary by this much
     dilate=None,
     # Whether to save result
@@ -894,7 +904,7 @@ def plot(
     layers = override_args(layers, circle, dilate)
 
     # 4. Fetch geodataframes
-    gdfs = get_gdfs(query, layers, radius, dilate, -rotation)
+    gdfs = get_gdfs(query, layers, radius, ratio, dilate, -rotation)
 
     # 5. Apply transformations to GeoDataFrames (translation, scale, rotation)
     gdfs = transform_gdfs(gdfs, x, y, scale_x, scale_y, rotation)
diff --git a/prettymaps/fetch.py b/prettymaps/fetch.py
index 633a7e3..68b701f 100644
--- a/prettymaps/fetch.py
+++ b/prettymaps/fetch.py
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ def parse_query(query):
         return "address"
 
 
-# Get circular or square boundary around point
-def get_boundary(query, radius, circle=False, rotation=0):
+# Get circular or rectangular boundary around point
+def get_boundary(query, radius, ratio, circle=False, rotation=0):
 
     # Get point from query
     point = query if parse_query(query) == "coordinates" else ox.geocode(query)
@@ -70,15 +70,16 @@ def get_boundary(query, radius, circle=False, rotation=0):
     if circle:  # Circular shape
         # use .buffer() to expand point into circle
         boundary.geometry = boundary.geometry.buffer(radius)
-    else:  # Square shape
+    else:  # rectangular shape
         x, y = np.concatenate(boundary.geometry[0].xy)
-        r = radius
+        dx = radius * ratio
+        dy = radius
         boundary = GeoDataFrame(
             geometry=[
                 rotate(
                     Polygon(
-                        [(x - r, y - r), (x + r, y - r),
-                         (x + r, y + r), (x - r, y + r)]
+                        [(x - dx, y - dy), (x + dx, y - dy),
+                         (x + dx, y + dy), (x - dx, y + dy)]
                     ),
                     rotation,
                 )
@@ -94,13 +95,13 @@ def get_boundary(query, radius, circle=False, rotation=0):
 
 # Get perimeter from query
 def get_perimeter(
-    query, radius=None, by_osmid=False, circle=False, dilate=None, rotation=0, **kwargs
+    query, radius=None, ratio=1, by_osmid=False, circle=False, dilate=None, rotation=0, **kwargs
 ):
 
     if radius:
-        # Perimeter is a circular or square shape
+        # Perimeter is a circular or rectangular shape
         perimeter = get_boundary(
-            query, radius, circle=circle, rotation=rotation)
+            query, radius, ratio, circle=circle, rotation=rotation)
     else:
         # Perimeter is a OSM or user-provided polygon
         if parse_query(query) == "polygon":
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ def get_gdf(
     layer,
     perimeter,
     perimeter_tolerance=0,
+    dilate=0,
     tags=None,
     osmid=None,
     custom_filter=None,
@@ -143,12 +145,15 @@ def get_gdf(
     **kwargs
 ):
 
+    if dilate == None:
+        dilate = 0
+
     # Supress shapely deprecation warning
     warnings.simplefilter("ignore", ShapelyDeprecationWarning)
 
     # Apply tolerance to the perimeter
     perimeter_with_tolerance = (
-        ox.project_gdf(perimeter).buffer(perimeter_tolerance).to_crs(4326)
+        ox.project_gdf(perimeter).buffer(dilate + perimeter_tolerance).to_crs(4326)
     )
     perimeter_with_tolerance = unary_union(
         perimeter_with_tolerance.geometry).buffer(0)
@@ -204,7 +209,7 @@ def get_gdf(
 
 
 # Fetch GeoDataFrames given query and a dictionary of layers
-def get_gdfs(query, layers_dict, radius, dilate, rotation=0) -> dict:
+def get_gdfs(query, layers_dict, radius, ratio, dilate, rotation=0) -> dict:
 
     perimeter_kwargs = {}
     if "perimeter" in layers_dict:
@@ -215,6 +220,7 @@ def get_gdfs(query, layers_dict, radius, dilate, rotation=0) -> dict:
     perimeter = get_perimeter(
         query,
         radius=radius,
+        ratio=ratio,
         rotation=rotation,
         dilate=dilate,
         **perimeter_kwargs
diff --git a/prettymaps/presets/barcelona.json b/prettymaps/presets/barcelona.json
index 34b8f15..0c98105 100644
--- a/prettymaps/presets/barcelona.json
+++ b/prettymaps/presets/barcelona.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"layers": {"perimeter": {"circle": false}, "streets": {"width": {"primary": 5, "secondary": 4, "tertiary": 3, "residential": 2, "footway": 1}}, "building": {"tags": {"building": true}}, "green": {"tags": {"landuse": ["grass", "village_green"], "leisure": "park"}}}, "style": {"background": {"fc": "#F2F4CB", "ec": "#dadbc1", "hatch": "ooo...", "zorder": -1}, "perimeter": {"fill": false, "lw": 0, "zorder": 0}, "green": {"fc": "#8BB174", "ec": "#2F3737", "hatch_c": "#A7C497", "hatch": "ooo...", "lw": 1, "zorder": 1}, "water": {"fc": "#a8e1e6", "ec": "#2F3737", "hatch_c": "#9bc3d4", "hatch": "ooo...", "lw": 1, "zorder": 3}, "streets": {"fc": "#2F3737", "ec": "#475657", "alpha": 1, "lw": 0, "zorder": 4}, "building": {"palette": ["#433633", "#FF5E5B"], "ec": "#2F3737", "lw": 0.5, "zorder": 5}}, "circle": null, "radius": 500, "dilate": 100}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"layers": {"perimeter": {"circle": false}, "streets": {"width": {"primary": 5, "secondary": 4, "tertiary": 3, "residential": 2, "footway": 1}}, "building": {"tags": {"building": true}}, "green": {"tags": {"landuse": ["grass", "village_green"], "leisure": "park"}}}, "style": {"background": {"fc": "#F2F4CB", "ec": "#dadbc1", "hatch": "ooo...", "pad": 1.1, "zorder": -1}, "perimeter": {"fill": false, "lw": 0, "zorder": 0}, "green": {"fc": "#8BB174", "ec": "#2F3737", "hatch_c": "#A7C497", "hatch": "ooo...", "lw": 1, "zorder": 1}, "water": {"fc": "#a8e1e6", "ec": "#2F3737", "hatch_c": "#9bc3d4", "hatch": "ooo...", "lw": 1, "zorder": 3}, "streets": {"fc": "#2F3737", "ec": "#475657", "alpha": 1, "lw": 0, "zorder": 4}, "building": {"palette": ["#433633", "#FF5E5B"], "ec": "#2F3737", "lw": 0.5, "zorder": 5}}, "circle": null, "radius": 500, "dilate": 100}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/prettymaps/presets/default.json b/prettymaps/presets/default.json
index 2a555d0..a9dc5eb 100644
--- a/prettymaps/presets/default.json
+++ b/prettymaps/presets/default.json
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
         },
         "background": {
             "fc": "#F2F4CB",
+            "pad": 1.1,
             "zorder": -1
         },
         "green": {
diff --git a/prettymaps/presets/heerhugowaard.json b/prettymaps/presets/heerhugowaard.json
index df71591..6933273 100644
--- a/prettymaps/presets/heerhugowaard.json
+++ b/prettymaps/presets/heerhugowaard.json
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
         },
         "background": {
             "fc": "#F2F4CB",
+            "pad": 1.1,
             "zorder": -1
         },
         "green": {
diff --git a/prettymaps/presets/macao.json b/prettymaps/presets/macao.json
index 98d6c3e..7b0bbc7 100644
--- a/prettymaps/presets/macao.json
+++ b/prettymaps/presets/macao.json
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
             "fc": "#F2F4CB",
             "ec": "#dadbc1",
             "hatch": "ooo...",
+            "pad": 1.1,
             "zorder": -1
         },
         "perimeter": {
diff --git a/prettymaps/presets/minimal.json b/prettymaps/presets/minimal.json
index 2d21eb1..2ed8d2d 100644
--- a/prettymaps/presets/minimal.json
+++ b/prettymaps/presets/minimal.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
         },
         "background": {
             "fc": "#fff",
+            "pad": 1.1,
             "zorder": -1
         },
         "streets": {