New York State Geographic Information System

New York State Geographic Information System
Name	New York State Geographic Information System
Established	1980s
Headquarters	Albany, New York
Jurisdiction	New York (state)
Parent agency	New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State Office of Information Technology Services

New York State Geographic Information System

The New York State Geographic Information System provides spatial data, mapping, and geospatial services across New York (state), supporting planning, emergency response, resource management, and research in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies. It integrates datasets from agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Census Bureau, and academic institutions including Columbia University, Cornell University, and the State University of New York. The system underpins operational activities for entities like the New York State Police, New York City Department of Transportation, and regional planning bodies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Capital District Transportation Authority.

Overview

The program consolidates spatial information including topography from the United States Geological Survey, cadastral records from county clerks, hydrology from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and land cover from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It supports interoperable standards promulgated by organizations such as the Open Geospatial Consortium, the Federal Geographic Data Committee, and the National States Geographic Information Council. Stakeholders include the New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Health, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, regional authorities like the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, and metropolitan governments such as New York City and Buffalo, New York.

History and Development

Early mapping initiatives trace to surveying by figures associated with the Holland Land Company and state surveys contemporaneous with the Erie Canal era, while modern digital efforts accelerated with collaborations with the United States Geological Survey and research centers at Syracuse University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Federal funding from programs administered by the National Science Foundation and cooperative projects with the United States Geological Survey enabled development of statewide orthophoto initiatives and digital elevation models used by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and municipal partners including Albany, New York and Rochester, New York. Significant milestones involved adoption of common data models influenced by the Open Geospatial Consortium and statewide metadata standards aligned with the Federal Geographic Data Committee.

Governance and Organizational Structure

Administration involves interagency coordination among the New York State Office of Information Technology Services, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of State (New York), with advisory input from regional councils such as the Northeast Regional Planning Board and academic consortia including SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Technical standards are informed by partnerships with the Open Geospatial Consortium, the National States Geographic Information Council, and federal entities like the United States Geological Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Operational collaborations extend to county offices (e.g., Westchester County, Monroe County) and tribal nations such as the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in matters of land records and cultural resource mapping.

Data and Services Offered

Datasets include high-resolution orthophotos provided in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; digital elevation models used alongside modeling from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; cadastral parcels integrated with county clerks including Erie County, New York and Onondaga County; transportation networks coordinated with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York State Department of Transportation; and environmental layers maintained with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Public-facing services support mapping portals used by the New York City Department of City Planning, emergency dashboards used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and APIs adopted by municipalities like Schenectady, New York and Yonkers, New York.

Technology and Infrastructure

The technical stack leverages commercial platforms such as Esri ArcGIS where permitted, open-source software like PostGIS/PostgreSQL and QGIS for analysis, and cloud infrastructure provided in coordination with the New York State Office of Information Technology Services and federal cloud initiatives from the General Services Administration. Data standards follow schemas from the Open Geospatial Consortium and metadata practices consistent with the Federal Geographic Data Committee. High-resolution imagery and LiDAR acquisitions are coordinated with agencies including the United States Geological Survey and contractors supporting projects for counties such as Nassau County, New York and Suffolk County, New York.

Applications and Use Cases

Use cases span hazard mitigation planning for coastal communities affected by events like Hurricane Sandy and riverine flooding projects coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency; transportation planning for agencies including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York State Department of Transportation; public health mapping for outbreaks overseen with the New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; natural resource management with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and economic development projects aligned with the Empire State Development Corporation and regional development agencies such as the Economic Development Administration. Academic research partnerships involve institutions like Columbia University, Cornell University, and University at Buffalo.

Education, Outreach, and Partnerships

Outreach includes training programs for local governments and tribal partners delivered in collaboration with academic centers such as the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and community colleges across counties like Ulster County and Dutchess County. Partnerships with national organizations such as the National States Geographic Information Council and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency support workforce development, while hackathons and civic technology initiatives engage groups like Code for America brigades in New York City and Rochester, New York. Collaborative grants have been pursued with the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and private foundations to expand data equity initiatives for underserved regions including the North Country (New York) and the Southern Tier (New York).

Category:Geographic information systems in the United States Category:Geography of New York (state)