CUR data holdings
The Center for Urban Research maintains a wealth of data in various formats that enable us to understand the multi-faceted nature of neighborhood change. Most of our data holdings focus on the New York region but we also collect, manage, and analyze data at the local, regional, and national level across the country.
The following list summarizes each major data holding.
- Demographic data
- Economic data
- Census geographies
- Administrative and Political Districts
- Open spaces
- Schools and other community facilities
- Health care facilities
- Detailed land use data by tax parcel
- Transportation networks
- Building structures
- Subsidized housing
Demographic data
The CUNY Data Service at CUR maintains extensive holdings of:
- the U.S. Census Bureau’s Summary Files (available down to the block level for selected characteristics, and tract level for the full range of Census variables);
- the latest releases from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey;
- the Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Samples (available down to the “public use microdata area” level – which generally correspond to New York City Community Boards);
- the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey through 2005, which is available by sub-borough area (which correspond generally to NYC Community Board boundaries); and
- the Current Population Survey (at the county/borough level).
Economic data
This includes two major data sets:
1. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): formerly known as "ES202", this data set from the NYS Dept. of Labor encompasses approximately 97 percent of New York’s employment, providing the most complete universe of employment and wage data by industry. The data is aggregated at the ZIP Code level (ZIP Code totals representing fewer than three reporting units or containing a single unit that accounts for 80 percent or more of the industry’s employment are suppressed).
Vintage: quarterly from 2000 through 2007.
Geographic scope: New York City, Long Island, Hudson Valley.
Attributes: # of firms and employees, and total wages, for industry groups based on 3-digit NAICS codes.
Source(s): NYS Dept. of Labor “Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages”.
2. CTPP: the Census Bureau’s “Census Transportation Planning Package,” representing employment data by tract and block group based on place of work.
Vintage: 2000.
Geographic scope: nationwide.
Attributes: household size, income, and vehicle availability; worker age, gender, occupation, and earnings; work location; and the usual departure time, travel mode, and travel time to work.
Source(s): US Census Bureau.
Census geographies
This includes the standard Census statistical areas for New York and the nation (blocks, block groups, tracts, county subdivisions, places/villages/cities, counties, divisions, regions, states). But CUR also has boundary files in GIS format for other areas such as county and state legislative districts, Congressional districts, ZIP Codes, and Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) -- for example, see "Administrative and Political districts" section below -- and we often allocate Census data to these non-standard geographies.
Vintage: 1990, 2000, 2003 (and selected files earlier than 1990).
Geographic scope: nationwide.
Attributes: identifiers to link with demographic and socio-economic data.
Source(s): Census Bureau, IPUMS, CIESIN, state and local sources.
Administrative and Political Districts
Political & election districts, Community Districts, school districts, health areas, fire regions, and police precincts.
Vintage: Latest publicly available version obtained in 2007.
Geographic scope: New York City, other metro regions.
Attributes: district ID number. Can be used to aggregate/overlay with all of the above data sets.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of City Planning “Bytes of the Big Apple” files.
Open spaces
Includes community gardens, natural areas within NYC parks, waterfront access points, “Forever Wild” sites, wildlife refuges, wetlands, priority habitat sites, and cemeteries.
A specific data set of properties owned or maintained by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation includes playgrounds, green streets, recreation centers, undeveloped land, piers and beaches, golf courses, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, track fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, and pools.
Vintage: mixed, ranging from early 2000s (wetlands) to 2005 (latest publicly available parks properties).
Geographic scope: primarily New York City, but also throughout the New York metro region.
Attributes: also mixed, ranging from detailed profiles of habitat sites to site names only for parks properties.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation, US EPA Harbor Estuary Program, private sources. Data was compiled primarily for the Open Accessible Space Information System (OASIS, at www.oasisnyc.net).
Schools and other community facilities
Schools in New York City by type (public, private, K-12, junior and senior high schools), libraries, cultural institutions, senior centers, emergency food programs, and homeless shelters.
Vintage: Latest publicly available version obtained in 2008 (most data elements current as of 2007).
Geographic scope: New York City.
Attributes: include contact information, capacity, and oversight agency.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of City Planning “Selected Facilities and Program Sites” file.
Health care facilities
Day care centers, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, substance abuse centers, and foster homes.
Vintage: Latest publicly available version obtained in 2008 (most data elements current as of 2007).
Geographic scope: New York City.
Attributes: include contact information, capacity, and oversight agency.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of City Planning “Selected Facilities and Program Sites” file.
Detailed land use data by tax parcel
Zoning, assessed value, ownership, and major land use types (such as public housing, 1 & 2 family residential, multi-family residential, mixed use, commercial, institutions, transportation & parking, industrial, and vacant lots).
Vintage: Latest publicly available version, current as of Fall 2007.
Geographic scope: New York City.
Attributes: include zoning, building type, land use category, ownership, assessed value, lot area, building area, number of stories, FAR, year built.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of City Planning “PLUTO” file. This file is only available through a license agreement with the Dept. of City Planning.
Transportation networks
Subway stations and routes, bus routes, ferry lines and terminals, and streets and highways/parkways/expressways.
Vintage: mixed (subways: 2005; buses: 2004; ferries: 2002; streets/highways: 2007; railways: 2007).
Geographic scope: New York region.
Attributes: mixed, including type of route/street, name of route, address ranges for streets.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of City Planning “LION” file, NYC Dept. of Information Technology and Telecommunications NYC Basemap, MTA NYC Transit, National Transportation Atlas Database, private sources.
Building structures
This file represents the 900,000+ buildings in the city, with Building Identification Numbers (BINs) for each one that can be linked to detailed building attributes including permits, violations, and inspections.
Vintage: Latest publicly available version obtained in 2005.
Geographic scope: New York City.
Attributes: BINs.
Source(s): NYC Dept. of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) NYC Basemap.
Subsidized housing
Database of all government-subsidized housing in New York City developed based on the research work of Center for Urban Research staff and graduate students. Includes city, state, and federal public housing projects, various state-funded housing program sites, Sections 8 and 236 programs, Mitchell-Lama buildings, low-income housing tax credit sites, and HPD 10-year plan locations. This has been supplemented with NYCHA buildings current as of 2006, and HUD Section 202 Senior Housing from 2008.
Vintage: mixed based on a list created in 2002, and supplemented in 2006 and 2008 (see above).
Geographic scope: New York City.
Attributes: addresses and other characteristics including information on the year of construction, number of units, and type of housing program.
Source(s): various federal, state, and local government agencies.
