GIS and data visualization tools have transformed our ability to
understand complex geographic (and non-locational) relationships by
catering the representation of the information to our innate
human expertise in comprehending two- and three-dimensional
spaces. Many problems can be quickly assessed - at least in
a preliminary way - through the use of well-designed graphics
that reveal the key spatial relationships between two or more
things.
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Visualization: Spatial Patterns
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Mapping tabular data such as census numbers can provide
quick and dramatic insight into geographic patterns that can
be used to understand markets, disease patterns, environmental
conditions, weather, population trends, and so on. This map
displays two variables simultaneously for every county in the
U.S.: the percentage of the population that is over age 65
(colors) and the median home value (height). The map
highlights the concentration of retirees living in Florida and
the midwest, while showing the different
economic settings in which they live (homes more than twice as
expensive in the Florida counties than the midwest ones).
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