Opendatasoft is a data portal platform used by governments, companies, and organizations to publish and share open data—including GIS-friendly datasets. It’s not a single dataset, but a platform that hosts thousands of data portals worldwide. If you're looking for public transportation routes, energy networks, building footprints, or zoning maps—Opendatasoft is a good place to start.
What Is Opendatasoft?
Opendatasoft is a SaaS platform that enables organizations to publish data on the web. It powers open data portals used by cities, states, utilities, and public agencies. Each portal is different, but many contain geographic datasets that are searchable, downloadable, and ready to use in GIS tools.
Some examples include:
- City of Paris open data
- New York MTA transit data
- French national datasets (IGN, SNCF, etc.)
- European energy or telecom operator data
Key Features for GIS Users
Built-In Map Viewer
Every dataset with geographic fields can be previewed on an interactive map.
This lets users explore spatial data before downloading.
GIS Export Formats
Most datasets are downloadable as:
- GeoJSON
- Shapefile
- KML
- CSV with coordinates
These can be used in browser tools like Atlas or desktop GIS tools like QGIS and ArcGIS.
APIs and Embeds
Each dataset has:
- A REST API
- A GeoJSON API
- A WFS (Web Feature Service) for GIS integration
This allows automated access or live data feeds in web apps.
Examples of Common Data Types
- Administrative boundaries
- Land use and zoning
- Public transportation stops and routes
- Bicycle lanes
- Environmental sensors (air quality, noise)
- Building permits
- Parking zones
- Census or population grids
Each portal chooses what to share—data availability varies by provider.
How to Use It
- Go to data.opendatasoft.com or any Opendatasoft-powered portal.
- Search by keyword or filter by location, category, or format.
- Preview datasets on a map or in a table.
- Download in your preferred format.
- Import into your GIS tool or use the API.
You can also filter and visualize data right in the browser.
Popular Opendatasoft Portals
- parisdata.opendatasoft.com
- transport.data.gouv.fr
- data.montreal.ca
- data.sncf.com
- opendata.metrosantiago.cl
These cover themes like mobility, environment, energy, urban planning, and public infrastructure.
Use Cases in GIS
- Urban planning – Access local zoning and building data.
- Mobility apps – Use transit feeds and road networks.
- Smart cities – Visualize air quality, water use, or energy grids.
- Public communication – Build dashboards or story maps using open layers.
- Academic research – Pull real-world data from hundreds of global cities.
Licensing
Each dataset has its own license.
Most are under open terms like:
- Open Data Commons
- Creative Commons BY
- Public domain
Always check the metadata for license details before commercial use.
Tips for GIS Users
- Use the built-in filters to find data by bounding box or city.
- When possible, use GeoJSON for fast web integration.
- Automate workflows using the Opendatasoft API.
- Combine datasets across portals for cross-city comparisons.
