Courts of New York: A Visual Atlas of the City’s Public Basketball Spaces

Author

Nathaniel Rattner, CUNY Graduate CenterFollow

Date of Degree

2-2026

Document Type

Master's Capstone Project

Degree Name

Master of Science

Program

Data Analysis & Visualization

Advisor

Ellie Frymire

Subject Categories

Communication Technology and New Media | Data Science | Graphics and Human Computer Interfaces

Keywords

data visualization, aerial imagery, visual analysis, color analysis, NYC parks, basketball

Abstract

Basketball courts in New York City are recreation facilities, community anchors and part of the city’s cultural image. In the basketball capital of the world, New Yorkers are rarely more than a few blocks away from a court. The visual diversity of these courts, however, is not widely documented in systematic ways.

This project makes that diversity visible to the public, combining open data, aerial imagery and computational analysis to document this important public space across the five boroughs. It is a narrative story and digital atlas of New York City’s public basketball courts, using surface color as a way to explore the design and aesthetic diversity of the city’s basketball spaces.

The piece is available at the following URL: https://naterattner.com/courts-of-new-york/

Comments

Online component: https://naterattner.com/courts-of-new-york/

Recommended Citation

Rattner, Nathaniel, "Courts of New York: A Visual Atlas of the City’s Public Basketball Spaces" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6574