Aerials1996 2004

From OasisNYC

Aerial photos from 1996 and 2004 at OASISnyc.net

A "then and now" view of New York City

OASIS does more than map the city in rich detail. It also gives you a bird's eye view of New York's changing neighborhoods through high resolution aerial photos from 1996 and 2004. Urban planners, park stewards, and others interested in New York City’s development can view these “then and now” maps for any neighborhood in the five boroughs.

It's easy to view the photos along with dozens of other "layers" of information on OASIS's maps. Just follow 4 simple steps. You can see where parks have been created or improved, buildings have been demolished or constructed, waterfront development has occurred, and how the built environment in your neighborhood has changed. Here's our news release with more information.

The OASIS team has prepared some direct links to interesting photos and posted them below:

• A full list of links is available at our del.icio.us page.

• Before and After development sites
  • The Target Store in Queens: an empty lot in 1996, the Target symbol from the air by 2004
  • Gateway Center in Brooklyn: a dirt lot in 1996, a large and growing shopping mall by 2004
  • Riverside South in Manhattan: grass and dirt in 1996, post-construction by 2004
• Habitat sites with encroaching housing
  • "Paw Paw Woods" habitat on Staten Island: trees, open space, & wetlands in 1996, subdivided with houses by 2004
• Toxic sites in New York
  • Landfills in Brooklyn: uncapped and overflowing in 1996, the capping process had begun by 2004
  • Old chemical manufacturer in Williamsburg, Brooklyn: active buildings in 1996, razed by 2004 (also see this blog entry at Curbed.com)
  • Fresh Kills landfill -- different views of the world's largest landfill - 1996 vs. 2004
• Sports venues
  • Keyspan Stadium in Coney Island: barren lot in 1996, stadium is built by 2004 (with the Parachute Jump still across the street)
  • Flushing Meadows in Queens: dirt fields near the Unisphere in 1996, landscaped soccer fields by 2004 (note the Parks Dept logo prominent at mid-field)
  • Staten Island Yankees: empty lot in 1996, stadium with parking by 2004

Visitors to OASIS can also view infrared aerial photos from 2001, provided under a cooperative agreement with the USDA Forest Service. These images are displayed at a lower resolution than the 1996 or 2004 photos, but they enable mapping analysts to visualize land patterns such as impervious surfaces versus tree cover.

Special thanks to the following organizations and individuals for helping OASIS present these "then and now" photos:

• The US Geological Survey provided the 2004 photos. They were taken in Spring 2004. They were originally created as part of a cooperative effort between the Research Foundation of CUNY, Hunter College Center for Analysis and Research of Spatial Information and the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT).
• Patrick Gahagan with ESRI's New York office volunteered his spatial data expertise to integrate the imagery into the OASIS website. ESRI -- the Environmental Systems Research Institute -- is a founding partner of OASIS and continues to provide advice and technical support.
• The earlier 1996 photos were provided by the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

If you'd like more information on the 2004 photos, please visit the USGS Seamless Data Viewer website (where you can download them directly -- they're in the public domain). USGS also provides metadata for the photos.

USGS can be contacted directly at:
U.S. Geological Survey
Customer Services Representative
USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation & Science
47914 252nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57198-0001
Phone: 605/594-6151 (or 1-800-252-4547)
email: custserv@usgs.gov