## Awesome Frontend GIS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for web browsers.
For managing, analyzing, editing, and visualizing geographic data.

    <a href="https://github.com/eurostat/gridviz" target="_blank">
        <img src='https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/25485293/191950255-cbd83c6a-4880-4c0a-a665-b59a21467702.PNG'>
    </a>

A compilation of geospatial-related web frameworks, tools, demos, applications, data sources and more.

## Contents

- 👨‍💻 JavaScript Libraries
  - Mapping
  - Data Processing
  - LiDAR
  - Remote Sensing
- 💾 Data sources
  - Downloads
  - Web APIs
  - Collections
- 📒 Notebooks
  - Beginner
  - Intermediate
  - Advanced
- :world_map: Web maps
- 🌐 Web apps
- 🎨 Colour advice
- 📍 Icons
- 📺 Videos
- 📚 Further reading

## 👨‍💻 JavaScript Libraries

### Mapping

Libraries for creating web maps:

- antvis L7 - Large-scale WebGL-powered Geospatial Data Visualization.
- ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript - Modern JavaScript API and web component library for building interactive 2D and 3D web apps for the browser.
- ArcGIS REST JS - Compact, modular JavaScript wrappers for the ArcGIS REST API that run in Node.js and modern browsers.
- Bertin.js - A JavaScript library for visualizing geospatial data and making thematic maps for the web.
- Cesium.js - An open-source JavaScript library for world-class 3D mapping of geospatial data.
- d3-geo - A library for creating maps based on D3.js.
- d3-geo-projection - Extended geographic projections.
- d3-geo-voronoi - Voronoi diagrams and Delaunay triangulation for the sphere.
- datamaps - Customizable map visualizations in one file.
- Deck.GL - WebGL2 powered geospatial visualization layers. GitHub stars
- Eurostat-map - Create and customise web maps showing Eurostat data using D3.js.
- globe.gl - This library is a convenience wrapper around the three-globe plugin, using ThreeJS/WebGL for 3D rendering. GitHub stars
- Google Maps - Google Maps API for JavaScript.
- gridviz - A package for visualizing gridded data.
- HERE maps API - Build web applications with feature-rich and customizable HERE maps.
- iTowns - A Three.js-based framework written in JavaScript/WebGL for visualizing 3D geospatial data.
- Leaflet - The leading open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps.
- Map Forecast API - Simple-to-use library based on Leaflet 1.4.x. It allows you to show wind maps.
- Mapbox GL JS - JavaScript library that uses WebGL to render interactive maps from vector tiles.
- maplibre - It originated as an open-source fork of mapbox-gl-js, before their switch to a non-OSS license in December 2020.
- MapTalks.js - An open-source JavaScript library for integrated 2D/3D maps.
- OpenLayers - A high-performance, feature-packed library for creating interactive maps on the web.
- react-simple-maps - An SVG mapping component library for React, built on top of d3-geo.
- Tangram - WebGL map rendering engine for creative cartography.
- TerriaJS - TerriaJS is a library for building rich, web-based geospatial data explorers.
- Wrld.js - Animated 3D city maps based on Leaflet.

### Data Processing

Libraries that help you analyse and process geospatial data: - Arc.js - Calculate great circles routes as lines in GeoJSON or WKT format. - awesome-GeoJSON - Catalogue of GeoJSON tools. - Euclid.ts - 2D Euclidean geometry classes, utilities, and drawing tools. - flatbush - A really fast static spatial index for 2D points and rectangles in JavaScript. - FlatGeoBuf - A performant binary encoding for geographic data based on flatbuffers. - flatten-js - For manipulating geometrical shapes, finding intersections, checking inclusion, calculating distance, transformations, and more. - Galton - Lightweight Node.js isochrone server. - gdal3.js - Convert raster and vector geospatial data to various formats. - geoblaze - A blazing fast JavaScript raster processing engine. - geobuf - Geobuf is a compact binary encoding for geographic data. - GeoTiff.js - Parse TIFF files for visualization or analysis. - geolib - Library to provide basic geospatial operations. - geopackage-js - The GeoPackage JavaScript library provides the ability to read GeoPackage files. - geoparquet - Encoding geospatial data in Apache Parquet. - geotoolbox - Provides several GIS operations for use with geojson properties. - geojson-merge - Merge multiple GeoJSON files into one FeatureCollection. - geojson-vt - A highly efficient JavaScript library for slicing GeoJSON data. - Geometric.js - A JavaScript library for doing geometry. - JSTS - JavaScript Topology Suite. - koop - A JavaScript toolkit for connecting incompatible spatial APIs. - math.gl - JavaScript math library focused on Geospatial and 3D use cases. GitHub stars - Proj4js - Transform coordinates from one coordinate system to another. - rbush - RBush is a high-performance JavaScript library for 2D spatial indexing. - spl.js - Makes it possible to use SpatiaLite functionality in JavaScript. - statsbreaks - Split a quantitative dataset into classes for thematic mapping. - supercluster - A very fast JavaScript library for geospatial point clustering. - Turf.js - A JavaScript library for spatial analysis. - topoJSON - Convert GeoJSON to TopoJSON for use in D3 maps. - Wicket - A modest library for moving between Well-Known Text (WKT) and various framework geometries.

### LiDAR

Tools for visualizing point clouds with web browsers:

- Plasio - Drag-n-drop In-browser LAS/LAZ point cloud viewer.
- Potree - WebGL point cloud viewer for large datasets.
- Potree & Cesium.js - Rezt, Austria LIDAR viewer.
- Three.js - Point cloud data loader.

### Remote Sensing

Resources for frontend earth observation and remote sensing:

- EOSDIS Worldview - Interactive interface for browsing global, full-resolution satellite imagery.
- Google Earth Engine - Geospatial processing service.
- Sentinel Hub custom scripts - A repository of custom scripts to be used with Sentinel Hub.
- sentinelhub-js - Download and process satellite imagery using Sentinel Hub services.
- Spectral - Awesome Spectral Indices for the Google Earth Engine JavaScript API.

## 💾 Data sources

A collection of geospatial open data sources:

### Downloads

Data available for download:

- ArcGIS Hub - Over 380,000 open datasets.
- Copernicus global DEM - Global elevation tiles.
- Copernicus open access hub - Copernicus satellite imagery download.
- ETOPO1 - 1 arc-minute global relief model of Earth’s surface.
- European population grids - GISCO - Population figures in grid cells.
- European Postcodes Point Data - Location of postal codes across Europe.
- Geoboundaries - The world’s largest open, free political boundaries database.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - Open access to biodiversity data.
- Global Climate Monitor - Global open climate data.
- Global power plant database - Open source database of power plants.
- Galileo - Geospatial data discovery and management platform.
- Healthcare Services in Europe - Locations of healthcare services in Europe.
- HydroSHEDS - Consistent hydrographic data for global applications.
- NASA Earth Data - Search, discover, visualize, refine, and access NASA Earth Observation data in your browser with Earthdata Search.
- NASA Earth Observations - Browse and download satellite data imagery.
- Natural Earth - Free vector and raster map data.
- OpenAerialMap - Open service for accessing licensed imagery.
- OpenMapTiles - Free OpenStreetMap Vector Tiles.
- OpenStreetMap - Free, world-wide geographic data set.
- Open Topography - High-resolution topography data and tools.
- Ookla internet speed data - Global network performance metrics.
- Sentinel Hub custom scripts - Repository of custom scripts for Sentinel Hub.
- USGS Earth Explorer - Query and order satellite images and more.
- World Atlas TopoJSON - Natural Earth’s vector data as TopoJSON.
- World Bank - Free access to global development data.
- WorldPop - Open access spatial demographic datasets.

### Web APIs

Restful APIs for consuming geospatial data on the fly:

- Address API - Pan-European address data with geocoding and reverse-geocoding.
- API Geo - Official French geographical data API.
- ArcGIS location services - Basemaps, Geocoding, Places, routing, and GeoEnrichment.
- bng2latlong - Converts British National Grid to latitude and longitude.
- breezometer - Air Quality, Weather, Pollen, and Environmental data.
- Country State City API - Database of city, state, and country data.
- Geoapify - Geospatial services such as maps, geocoding, and routing.
- geonames - Supports placename lookup and reverse geocoding.
- Geocode.xyz - Reverse geocoding, forward geocoding, and geoparsing API.
- GISCO data distribution API - European Commission data source for administrative regions and boundaries.
- GraphHopper Route Optimization API - Solves various vehicle routing problems.
- movebank-api - Platform for animal tracking data.
- OpenAQ - Largest open-source air quality data platform.
- Open Charge Map API - Public registry of electric vehicle charging locations.
- OpenCage - Forward and reverse geocoding API using open data.
- Open-Meteo - Global weather forecast API.
- Open Notify - ISS location and number of people in space.
- Open Postcode Geo API - British postcodes with geospatial data.
- OpenSky API - Retrieve live airspace information.
- openrouteservice - Directions, isochrones, and geocoding services.
- OpenStreetMap - Retrieve OpenStreetMap data via Overpass API.
- opentopodata API - Open Topography Data API.
- Overpass API - Retrieve OpenStreetMap data.
- RainViewer - Free weather radar and satellite data API.
- REST countries - Get country information via a RESTful API.
- Sunrise and sunset - Provides sunset and sunrise times for locations.
- TomTom - Geocoding, routing, traffic, and more.
- USGS earthquake data - Search earthquake data by various parameters.
- what3words - Converts 3-word addresses to coordinates.

### Collections

Compilations and repositories of open geospatial datasets: - awesome-public-datasets - An awesome repository full of open datasets from an abundance of different categories. - Free GIS data - Links to over 500 sites providing freely available geographic datasets. - Public APIs - A collective list of free APIs for use in software and web development. - WRI - World Resources Institute.

## 📒 Notebooks

Some JavaScript notebooks to help you code:

### Beginner

- Hello, Leaflet - ObservableHQ.
- Hello, Bertin.js - Nicolas Lambert.
- Hello, Mapbox GL - Mike Bostock.
- Hello, eurostat-map.js - Joe Davies.
- Hello, gridviz - Nicolas Lambert.

### Intermediate

- World Tour - D3.
- Choropleth - D3.
- How to make a nice scalebar - Julien Gaffuri.
- #GISCHAT Twitter Users with MapBoxGL - Globe Projection - Chris Marx.
- Hexgrid maps with d3-hexgrid - Larsvers.
- Bivariate Choropleth with Continuous Color Scales - Stephanie Tuerk.
- Visualizing Eurostat grid data using Three.js & D3 - Joe Davies.

### Advanced

- Try to impeach this? Challenge accepted! - Karim Douieb.
- Bars and pubs in Paris - Nicolas Lambert.
- Brussels Street Gender Inequality - Karim Douieb.
- Animating voting maps with regl - Benjamin Schmidt.
- Election maps as dorling striped circles - Julien Gaffuri.
- GeoParquet on the web - Kyle Barron.
- Interactive Regl wind demo - Daniel Kao.
- Dorling cartogram of the Spanish Presidential election - Adrián Blanco.
- Visualizing earthquakes with Three.js - Joe Davies.
- GeoArrow and GeoParquet in deck.gl - Kyle Barron.

## :world_map: Web maps

A compilation of interesting web maps:

- Map of notable people - Topi Tjukanov.
- Submarine cable map - TeleGeography.
- Radio Garden - 3D Globe Radio Tuner.
- Map of every building in the United States - New York Times.
- Map of the Roman transport network - The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World.
- Webgl Wind - A WebGL-powered visualization of wind power. Capable of rendering up to 1 million wind particles at 60fps.
- Statistical Atlas - A leaflet-powered atlas showcasing Eurostat’s statistics.
- ShadeMap - Every mountain, building and tree shadow in the world simulated for any date and time.
- ClimateArchive - An interactive visualisation of climate model data across time and space.
- Old Maps Online - Browse historical places and search for old maps with timeline.
- chronotrains - Where can you go by train in 8h?

## 🌐 Web apps

Plug-and-play geospatial web apps:

- city roads - Render every single road in any city at once.
- Datawrapper - Create charts, maps, and tables.
- Fantasy Map Generator - Free web application for creating and editing fantasy maps.
- geotiff.io - Provides quick access to easy-to-use raster processing.
- IMAGE - Tool for generating thematic maps.
- Kepler - A powerful open-source geospatial analysis tool for large-scale datasets.
- magrit - An online application for thematic mapping.
- mapshaper - Online editor for map data.
- MapOnShirt - Create colorful designs from maps and turn them into products.
- Maputnik - Free and open visual editor for Mapbox GL styles.
- mapus - Tool for collaboratively exploring and annotating maps.
- Peak Map - Visualizes elevation of any area on the map with filled area charts.
- Plasio - Drag-n-drop in-browser LAS/LAZ point cloud viewer.
- StoryMap JS - Open-source alternative to ESRI’s Story Map application.
- TopoExport - Export 2D contour lines and 3D topography using open-source datasets.
- uMap - Create maps with OpenStreetMap layers and embed them in your site.
- bboxFinder - Helper page for finding bbox values from a map.
- geojson.io - A quick, simple tool for creating, viewing, and sharing spatial data.
- GeoJSONLint - Use this site to validate and view your GeoJSON.

## 🎨 Colour advice

Colour usage is very important in data visualisation and cartography. Here are some tools to help you choose the best colours for your maps:

- CartoColor - A set of custom color palettes built on top of standards for color use on maps.
- Chroma.js Color Palette Helper - Chroma.js-powered tool for mastering multi-hued, multi-stop color scales.
- ColorBrewer - Colour advice for maps, based on Dr. Cynthia Brewer’s research.
- Dicopal.js - Discrete color palettes for JavaScript.
- Textures.js - JavaScript library for creating SVG patterns, designed for data visualization.
- viz-palette - Tool optimized for tweaking, copying, and pasting colors in and out of JavaScript.

## 📍 Icons

Icons to add to your GIS websites: - font-GIS - A very very cool icon font set for use with GIS and spatial analysis tools. - Map Icons Collection - A set of more than 1000 free and customizable icons to use as placemarks for your POI (Point of Interests) locations on your maps. - Material Symbols - Over 2,990 glyphs in a single font file with a wide range of design variants. - Geoapify map marker playground - The Marker Icon API lets you create beautiful icons and use them as Map Markers.

## 📺 Videos

Videos of web mapping presentations and tutorials:

- Mapping Geolocation with Leaflet.js - Working with Data and APIs in JavaScript - The Coding Train.
- 10 Maps, and the Tech and Stories Behind Them - Maarten Lambrechts.
- Intermediate Three.js Tutorial - Create a Globe with Custom Shaders - Chris Courses.
- Statistical Cartography - Design principles for statistical map design - Julien Gaffuri.

## 📚 Further reading

- Fundamentals of Data Visualization - Claus O. Wilke.
- A Workbook for Interactive Cartography and Visualization on the Open Web - Robert Roth, Carl Sack, Gareth Baldrica-Franklin, Yuying Chen, Rich Donohue, Lily Houtman, Tim Prestby, Robin Tolochko, Nick Underwood.
- Thematic Mapping: 101 Inspiring Ways to Visualise Empirical Data - Kenneth Field.
- Color use guidelines for mapping and visualization - Cynthia A. Brewer.
- Geospatial Network Visualization - A collection of visualization techniques for geospatial network data.

## Contributing

Contributions of any kind are welcome, just follow the guidelines by either:

- Filling a suggestion issue (easier).
- Opening a pull request.

If you have any questions about this list, please don’t hesitate to contact me @joewdavies on X (formerly Twitter) or open a GitHub issue.

frontendgis.md Github