Research Guides: Geographic Information Systems: Spatial Data Repository & Resources

Quick Links

Spatial Data Repository (SDR) This link opens in a new window
The Spatial Data Repository (SDR) is NYU's portal for previewing and discovering geospatial data. The collection includes resources from open data and proprietary resources, and users can download layers and work with them in many GIS platforms.

OpenGeoportal
OpenGeoportal is a collaboratively developed, open source, federated web application to rapidly discover, preview, and retrieve geospatial data from multiple repositories, including Harvard, Tufts, and MIT.

Big Ten Academic Alliance Geoportal
The Big Ten Academic Alliance aggregates geospatial data that has been selected and curated by librarians at 9 institutions within the Big Ten.

NYC Information Technology & Telecommunications
Building footprints, street centerlines, pavement edge, hydrography, open space, railroad lines, roadbed, shoreline, elevation.
Bytes of the Big Apple
New York City zoning features, boundaries, political and administrative districts, and PLUTO parcel data.
New York State GIS Clearinghouse
Data for the entire state of New York organized by the agency that created the data or holds the data.
New Jersey GIS Network
Search for and download New Jersey GIS data.
CUGIR: Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository
CUGIR provides geospatial data and metadata for New York State, with special emphasis on those natural features relevant to agriculture, ecology, natural resources, and human-environment interactions.

New York City Population FactFinder (NYC PFF) This link opens in a new window
New York City Population FactFinder (NYC PFF) is a discovery portal for sample U.S. Census and American Community Survey data. Data is available at the census tract or Neighborhood Tabulation Area level.

CrimeStat
A spatial statistics program for the analysis of crime incident locations.
GeoData.gov
A portal for finding US maps and data from various US government websites.
US Geological Survey (USGS)
Areas, digital raster graphics, DEM elevation data, roads, and more.
National Historical Geographic Information System
The NHGIS provides free access to aggregate Census data and GIS-compatible boundary files for the United States from 1790-2010.

Geolytics Neighborhood Change Database This link opens in a new window
The Geolytics Neighborhood Change Database (NCDB) gives users access to US Census data from 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010 at the census tract level, with the option to access data for all four decades normalized to 2010 tract boundaries. Users can download data as if the 2010 tracts existed, and all the data is weighted to these areas. Variables include population, household, and housing characteristics, income, poverty status, education level, employment, housing costs, immigration, and others. Users can export data in .dbf, ASCII, shapefile, or mid/mif files.

GADM Administrative Boundary Data
GADM is a source of public domain basic map data concerning administrative boundaries in developing countries. The data is broken down into manageable chunks to make it easier to download for those with poor internet connections.
OpenStreetMap
A free editable map of the whole world that allows users to view, edit, and use geographical data in a collaborative way from anywhere on Earth.
Geolode
A catalog of websites that offer geospatial data.

Esri COVID-19 GIS Hub
Esri's clearing-house for COVID-19 resources; contains datasets, applications, story maps, and dashboards.
Urban Systems Lab COVID-19 Resources
This site from the Urban Systems Lab contains links to COVID-19 datasets, research, and articles. It is especially useful if you are focusing on COVID-19 in New York City.
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) COVID-19 Resources
This site, from the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), contains several links to COVID-19 datasets and dashboards. It is particularly useful if your research on COVID-19 has a global focus (there are plenty of links to international datasets and studies). It also contains links to useful cartographic advice on mapping COVID-19.