Mapping

 

		CARTO CARTO provides various tools to extract, analyze, and illustrate location information featured in data sets. The software’s, Builder platform automatically applies visual layers to maps to highlight key patterns and findings, while the Data Observatory helps users augment their data using publicly available demographic, economic, and real estate data sets to add more context to the findings.
		MapBox Through MapBox, users can build custom vector maps, including street level, terrain, and satellite maps that are updated with real-time data. Users can create animated data points and searchable geocoded addresses, and MapBox’s navigation feature provides turn-by-turn directions based on current traffic information.
		Tour Builder This Google Earth program lets users upload images, text, video, and other media content onto specific locations on a map to create “tours” of travels and experiences. The program was originally designed to help veterans create maps of their tours of duty, but can be used to create visual, location-based stories.
		MapTiler With MapTiler, users can create custom, zoomable vector and raster maps from scratch or using the site’s collection of free world maps.
		ArcGIS ArcGIS is a cloud-based mapping software that can create custom maps, visualize data points using colorful “Smart Mapping” tools, and produce 3D maps and scene illustrations. The software also offers location geocoding as well as spatial analytics to help users analyze patterns and find meaning in their data sets.
		QGIS Users can create maps with interactive spatial data points as well as compose and edit raster and vector layers to illustrate different data sets. QGIS also has spatial data analysis tools like vector analysis, sampling, geoprocessing, and database management tools.
		GISCloud This cloud-based mapping program allows users to collect and upload field data and survey responses in real time to build custom maps enriched with location information. GISCloud is also testing a beta geocoding feature to transform addresses into coordinate points that represent data.
		Scribble Maps Through Scribble Maps, users can create clickable maps using drawing and editing tools to add locations, text, icons, images, and markers. Scribble Maps also features analytical tools for calculating distance, area, and travel time.
		Fusion Tables Fusion Tables, a Google-based visualization tool, allows users to make maps, charts, and tables using their own imported data or public data sources. Fusion Tables can also merge data tables, and charts and maps automatically update whenever changes are made to the original data set, including new versions of public data.
		EsriStory Maps With EsriStory Maps, users can combine maps, text, images, infographics, and multimedia content to display data and create interactive projects. Story Map formats include photo/media tours; cascading story pages; a map journal that combines maps with narrative storytelling; and tabbed, accordion, and bullet list page layouts.
		WorldMap Developed by Harvard University, WorldMap allows users to build and edit maps and upload layers of data to illustrate geospatial information.
		eSpatial Mapping Software With eSpatial Mapping Software, users can mine location information embedded in data to create interactive maps from spreadsheets, CRMs, databases, and other data management systems. eSpatial also offers various styling options such as color-coding, heat visualization, pins, and bubbles, as well as interactive features like pop-ups, address searches, legends, and data filtering.
		OpenHeat Map Users can upload spreadsheets of location-based data points to OpenHeat Map to generate an interactive map illustrating their data. The site also allows for some customizations options for maps, including text size, colors, and animation.
		OpenLayers With OpenLayers, users can upload images, pre-rendered map tiles, and vector data to build custom maps. The software works with OSM, Bing, MapBox, Staman, GeoJSON, and other mapping software.
		OpenStreet Map OpenStreet Map is a free map software that allows users to edit and export maps from any region of the world. The maps are tagged to denote structures on the ground such as highways, emergency facilities, residences, and different types of businesses, which are constantly updated by a network of knowledgeable community contributors.
		InstantAtlas InstantAtlas allows users to build maps and visualizations by combining original data with publicly available national data. The software offers customizable templates with interactive features like panning, zooming, and hyperlinking to additional charts, tables, and websites.
		StoryMap JS This Knight Lab-developed platform helps journalists narrate news stories by highlighting the locations of a series of events through maps and images. Users can incorporate images and media from Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, GoogleMaps, SoundCloud, and Wikipedia, among other sources.