Table of Contents
Patterns to look for
Clusters
How to spot clusters
If you see a group or cluster of geographies that all have similar measurements on your map, there is likely a story to be told about it.
What clusters can reveal
If you see a group or cluster of geographies that all have similar measurements on your map, there is likely a story to be told about it. These clusters can reveal things such as
Communities of interest
Enclaves of populations with similar experiences
Populations that are being exposed to similar adverse impacts.
Islands
How to spot islands
If you have a cluster of geographies with similar measurements, but there are geographies within the general boundaries of the cluster that don't fit the pattern, these are your islands. We might also call these "spatial outliers".
What islands can reveal
For these islands, answering what makes them different can be a powerful story and provide unique insights to your audience.
Patterns visible with bivariate maps
Alignment
How to spot alignment
You can spot areas of alignment by looking for the neutral colors from the center of the legend (Link to legend article). On the yellow – blue scale, these show up as areas in different shades of gray. On the magenta – green scale, areas in alignment show up as different shades of purple.
What alignment can reveal
While clusters and islands are concerned with observing the spatial distribution of a single indicator, alignment is a story about how two indicators relate spatially. For example, how do race and income relate to each other spatially within your community? What about home ownership rates and the number of jobs accessible by transit? An alignment story helps to uncover relationships between spatial patterns in your community.
Divisions
How to spot division
Division can be identified on a bivariate map by looking for geographies of with a color from either the left or the right side of the bivariate legend. For the yellow – blue scale, these are tones of yellow or blue rather than gray. For the magenta – green scale, these are tones of magenta or green rather than purple.
What division can reveal
"The other side of the tracks" is not just an idiom: many of our communities are divided by stark lines. A division story is a story about why things are different from place to place and typically as a result of the historical, political, and/or natural features that lead to differences between areas.