Browsing the Spatial Data Catalog
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CARTO’s Spatial Data Catalog allows users to explore the specifications of thousands of spatial datasets available via the Data Observatory, in order to find the best data based on their requirements.
The Spatial Data Catalog is built on top of a smart metadata system that has all characteristics defining a dataset registered in an homogenous manner (i.e. provider, coverage, schema, variable description, sample data, etc.). This provides a unified experience that allows users to explore and understand the details of very different types of spatial data.
The Spatial Data Catalog is available from our public website and also from within the CARTO Workspace once you log into your account and navigate to the Data Observatory section.
There are a set of high-level metadata attributes that allow the user to filter different datasets when browsing the Spatial Data Catalog:
Countries – The geographical coverage of the datasets.
Categories – The type of data product (e.g. demographic, human mobility, road traffic, environmental, etc.).
Licenses – Identifies whether the dataset access is ruled by a public or premium license.
Providers – The premium data provider or public data source of the datasets.
Spatial aggregation – The type of spatial aggregation used in the dataset (e.g. admin region, postal codes, road segments, grids, etc.).
Temporal aggregation - The type of temporal aggregation used in the dataset (e.g. hour, week, month, year, etc.).
Then, once a dataset from the list is selected the following additional metadata attributes are available:
Summary description of the dataset
List of key variables
Relevant use-cases
More datasets from that provider
Related datasets from other providers
Temporal aggregation
Update frequency
Brief description from the provider or data source
Associated Geography. If applies, these are the digital boundaries (geometries) associated with this dataset, this is, its spatial aggregation. Note that some Geographies can also require their own premium license
Sample table with 10 rows of data
Full detailed dataset schema with variable names and descriptions
Frequently Asked Questions about the dataset or provider
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