Spatial Data Catalog

Overview

CARTO’s Spatial Data Catalog enables exploration of thousands of spatial datasets through the Data Observatory. The system uses intelligent metadata organization to provide a unified experience for discovering and understanding diverse spatial data types.

Access Points

The catalog is available through:

• The public CARTO website at carto.com/data
• User dashboard under the “Data” section (after logging in)
• Python notebooks via the Data Discovery methods in CARTOframes

Filtering Capabilities

Users can narrow down datasets using these high-level metadata attributes:

• Countries: Geographic coverage areas
• Categories: Data product types (demographic, human mobility, road traffic, environmental, etc.)
• Licenses: Public or premium license designations
• Sources: Data providers or public sources
• Placetypes: Spatial aggregation types (admin regions, postal codes, road segments, grids, etc.)

Dataset Details

When selecting a specific dataset, users access additional metadata:

• Summary description
• Key variables list
• Complete dataset schema with variable names and descriptions
• Sample data table (10 rows)
• Temporal aggregation information
• Update frequency
• Associated Geography requirements (digital boundaries/geometries when applicable)