The application of GIS is limited only by the imagination of those who use it. - Jack Dangermond, Esri

New York City is an urban area which provides of a multitude of services that support an adequate balance of “...biophysical, environmental and social conditions...” (Papageorgia, 1976) contributing to quality of life for New Yorkers. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) overlay analysis will be used to link geographic trends between job availability, efficient transport systems, pollution, housing quality (Pacione, 2003), and education as factors pertinent to quality of life in the area. Datasets will be derived from multiple open-source data platforms, where each dataset will represent a quality of life indicator. Potential findings will support the importance of using various spatial datasets together to gain a greater insight on the influential factors contributing to quality of life. Information derived from the study can be used to identify policy planning in various urban areas across the United States.