Acronym for National Spatial Data Infrastructure. A federally mandated framework of spatial data that refers to U.S. locations, as well as the means of distributing and using that data effectively. Developed and coordinated by the FGDC, the NSDI encompasses policies, standards, procedures, technology, and human resources for organizations to cooperatively produce and share geographic data. The NSDI is developed by the federal governments; state, local, and tribal governments; the academic community; and the private sector.