Apr 2, 2015 -- The Minnesota Geospatial Commons is a collaborative public website where publishers can share, and users can access geospatial data, maps, services and applications. These resources allow us to see, analyze and interpret data to better understand relationships, patterns and trends. The site is administered by the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), a program of MN.IT Services.

This robust data distribution site can be used by both traditional and non-traditional geospatial data users who need data for a project, services for an application, or other resources primarily used with geographic information systems (GIS) software. Sectors that can benefit from the Geospatial Commons include: natural resources, transportation, utilities, government, health, economic development, retail, journalism, and web and applications development technologies.

The site consolidated state agency geospatial sites, including the DNR Data Deli, MetroGIS DataFinder and MnGeo GeoGateway. This single site solution now means more efficient collaboration across agencies, which allows State government to more effectively serve citizens. Before the Geospatial Commons, people seeking geospatial information were left to guess which individual sites to visit in order to find and obtain the information they need.

"We are excited to see this site open for business," said Dan Ross, chief geospatial information officer, MnGeo. "Having a single point of access for Minnesota’s public geospatial information is an idea we have talked about for many years, and now it is here. This is a great site for those who have geospatial information to share, and for those who need this data."

You can find the Minnesota Geospatial Commons at http://gisdata.mn.gov.