Import/Export Options in Districtr
Upload from This Page
Currently, only JSON files that were downloaded from Districtr are supported for upload from this page. Information on other file types and ways to upload are described below; for instance, CSV assignment files can be drag-and-dropped onto modules directly!
Summary Chart
Districtr’s options for exporting and importing data are summarized in the following chart. Scroll down for more information on each.
| Format | Export Available | Import Available | Use for... | Examples* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Districtr.org link | Yes | Yes | Sharing, building on others’ maps, submitting to commissions |
Districts link
Communities link |
| JSON | Yes (download) | Yes, if our units are used | Adding communities as base layers in districts, using in other redistricting programs |
Districts JSON
Communities JSON |
| Shapefile | Yes (download available in most modules) | No | Analysis in QGIS/ArcGIS/python, using in other redistricting programs |
Districts shapefile
Communities shapefile |
| Unit assignment file (CSV) | Yes (download, excludes landmarks) | Yes (excludes landmarks) | Having a list of district assignments or communities in the building blocks you chose, analysis in python |
Districts CSV
Communities CSV |
| GeoJSON | Yes (download) | Yes, if our units are used | Analysis in QGIS/ArcGIS/python, using in other redistricting programs |
Districts GeoJSON
Communities GeoJSON |
- * The Districting mode examples are for Lowell, Massachusets. The Communities mode examples are for the St. Louis, Missouri area and are from collaborator Monyai Chavers.
Format Descriptions
Districtr.org link
Create this to share with anyone on the internet, including Districtr events and commissions.
A unique link takes a complete snapshot of your districts or communities. If you are the creator and are in the original browser session, you can update it without changing the link. When you open and edit someone else’s map (or your own at a later time), and click share, this will generate a new unique link.
JSON
A JSON file exported from Districtr can be directly re-uploaded into Districtr. If you start a new map in the state or area the file was made in, you can load the JSON by dragging and dropping it onto that blank map. JSON files can also be used in some other redistricting programs.
Shapefile
Download a shapefile to use in desktop mapping software (e.g., QGIS and ArcGIS), python, and some other redistricting programs. If you want to generate a block equivalency file with your communities or districts, we recommend downloading a shapefile, the Census data you need, and then converting in QGIS or python.
A shapefile is the name for a group of files (.shp, .dbf, .prj, .shx, .sbn), and a shapefile download is a zipped folder containing all of these files. In addition to your districts or communities, a shapefile also includes any election and Census data that was available based on the region and building blocks you chose, along with enacted Congressional and State Legislature districts, as applicable.
In Communities mode, when you download a shapefile, a GeoJSON file will also be included in the zipped folder. The shapefile contains your communities, and the geojson contains the important places.
This download can take a few minutes for larger states.
Comma-separated values (CSV)
A CSV file will list the districts or communities you made along with their assignment according to the building blocks used (precincts, block groups, etc.). It does not include additional data or unassigned building blocks. A CSV is the smallest file generated. It can be joined to a shapefile for the same locality with the same building blocks in mapping software or python.
A CSV file exported from Districtr can be directly re-uploaded into Districtr by another user. If you open any particular mapping module, you can simply drag-and-drop a CSV from the same module onto the blank map! CSV assignment files are also interoperable with essentially all other redistricting software programs.
GeoJSON
A GeoJSON can be used in desktop mapping software (e.g., QGIS and ArcGIS), python, and other redistricting programs.
In Communities mode, when you download a GeoJSON, the zipped folder will contain one file for the painted areas (made from precincts, block groups, etc.) and a separate file that contains the landmarks or points of interest marked in the map.