#WARSAW

The aim of the #Warsaw series is to introducing you with various cartographic presentation (not just choropleth maps). We’ll see which methods you prefer and which provide more information. At the same time, we will examine Warsaw from the perspective of socio-economic geography, gradually revealing its advantages and disadvantages.

POPULATION DENSITY

We begin with the population density of Warsaw by district. This is our starting point for further analyses that will answer questions about why the population is distributed in a certain way in Warsaw. We will investigate what attracts people to the capital and what deters them, and whether substandard urban development is a deterring factor or quite the opposite.   

Population density is the number of people per unit of area, usually transcribed as (per square kilometr or square mile), is most commonly presented in cartography using the choropleth map method. This method can be found in any geography or cartography textbook, but do you know its types and is it the only form of presentation? Below, we present the most interesting forms of available DATA.

CHOROPLETH MAP

As the first method, we present a simple choropleth map. It is not entirely obvious (or simple), and therefore it is not boring and will certainly attract interest. Instead of using a color palette, which is commonly used almost everywhere, we have used icons of people placed according to population density, and we present the result below.

 

3D CHOROPLETH MAP

The second method we chose is also a choropleth map, but we replaced administrative units as the reference point with a grid of squares to which we assigned data on the number of residents. This type of layer is available for all of Poland and can be downloaded from the GUS website. To avoid presenting a simple choropleth map, we used 3D presentation tools, and here are the results of our work.

ANAMORPHIC MAP

For the next presentation method, we chose yet another choropleth map. Yes, but from a completely different perspective, though perhaps not entirely, as it’s a method commonly used in the UK. This is the anamorphic map. We treat it somewhat as a cartographic experiment, but it is certainly an interesting method. Its premise is to proportionally represent the area according to the studied phenomenon and use a color scale. Check which districts gained weight and which ones slimmed down using this method.

HOT SPOTS

As the last method, we used what is perhaps the most popular method recently, the so-called hot spots. This can be evidenced by the maps published in the media using this method and the availability of tools in GIS programs. The method is interesting because it doesn’t use sharp boundaries, nor is it assigned to administrative units, making it more accurately reflect the studied phenomenon.

SUMMARY

The above presentation forms depict the same phenomenon with different effects. The advantage of a choropleth map is its simplicity and ease of perception, similar to the hot spots method. However, its disadvantage is the lack of internal variation within the administrative unit, giving the impression of uniform population density distribution, similar to the anamorphic choropleth map. In our opinion, the most readable and accurate method of reflecting population density is the hot spots method, as it shows the variation within districts. Thanks to it, we can identify the most populated areas in districts such as Bielany, Bemowo, Mokotów, and Ursynów.

From these results, the question arises as to why these areas have the highest population and whether they offer favorable living conditions, and if so, for whom. We will examine available data to better understand the residents, their needs, and their stress levels.

If you like our results and need more detailed data or high-resolution maps, please write to: office@gcore.pl