Developed in New Zealand,
Koordinates has become The Place to find geodata, so long as you're using it fairly, it's a data goldmine.
Developed from a simple premise that walking tracks in New Zealand could be digitally accessible to anybody, One Track Mind (a befitting title it would seem) has changed name -and breath-taking scope- to become
Koordinates, who now aim at being "the one place for geodata".
The website [link through
here] has a very manageable interface, splitting the screen vertically with your data searches on the left, and the resulting map image (in the ubiquitous Google style) appearing on the right.
Fantastically, Koordinates gathers a huge amount of free open-source data, and even more cleverly, allows you to interact with the data, overlaying as many layers as you wish (and there are hundreds in New Zealand alone), before simply downloading or ordering your information (directly available if the data is free) across the whole country or in a cropped area.
Giving credit for the data providers is usually a requested Term of Use, as well as limiting their use to 'personal' rather than 'commercial' (ie. for-profit, unless a limited license is acquired), and of course the disclaimer that the data should not constitute legal or professional advice. I've posted the introduction to these
Terms of Use below, check them out
here in full before you go gallivanting through Koordinates.com.
The other convenient aspect of Koordinates is that certain data which still carries a cost can still be downloaded, with supplied costs either per MB of download or per Feature, depending on the data type.
Obviously this is useful to all students who are working on non-professional work, or designers working speculatively, whether its obtaining remote geodata for sites around New Zealand, and the world, or more interestingly, experimenting with multiple layers of information to find unexpected spatial relationships.
A quick scan I had brought up Registered Historic Places (downloadable for a small fee), Coastlines, DOC Tramping Huts, Wellington's Recycling Centre's, Runways and Airstrips, Waterfalls, Firestations, even Recreational Gold Fossicking Areas! Right through to the more sobering Deprivation Index (with detailed instructions for interpretation).
So like the NZS 3604 or the Registered Architects Act, use adventurously, but warily.
A typical screenshot of the interface with data layers (left) and interactive map (right).
Note: lead image contains thumbnail of "NZ Building Footprints", provided by
Land Information New Zealand.
Terms of Use (introduction):
"Please note that data downloaded from Koordinates is covered by separate copyright law and license terms specified by the copyright owner. See the details of each data layer for any license conditions and restrictions which may apply.
"The information on this website does not constitute legal or professional advice. We will not be liable for your reliance on any information contained in this website.
"You may only use this site for your own personal use and not for profit or commercial purposes unless granted a limited license by Koordinates Limited."
www.koordinates.com