Storytelling with maps
Of course maps tell a story. But while cartographers like John Krygier and Cindy Brewer offer us resources for making good maps, how do we tell better stories?
According to This American Life’s Ira Glass, a good story consists of three basic components:
1. Begin almost self-consciously in media res, with an unrelenting anecdote full of “and then…and then…and then…” forward motion.
2. This forward motion is achieved by a stream of questions constantly raised and answered by the sections introduced by each “and then.”3. Reflect upon what it all means.
I wonder if referring in the body of a written work to a map that stands apart from that body is antithetical to good storytelling. I like the approach taken by Edward Tufte, who often introduces his maps and graphics with a simple comma, as he would introduce any words relevant to the preceding paragraph. I once thought this choice was to spare readers from the time and effort of searching for Map 2-1 (previous page) or Table 3-5 (appendix).
I realize now Tufte’s respect for the pace and timing of a good story.
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Dutch town to pave road with air-purifying bricks
The road to Hengelo is paved with good inventions. The Dutch town [map, wiki, official] is paving a local road with green bricks containing “a titanium dioxide-based additive” that “binds the nitrogren oxide particles emitted by car exhausts and turns them into harmless nitrates” when sunlight is added to the mix.
This is the first test outside of University of Twente laboratories and I’m anxious to hear about the results. I’d like to see more small towns in the United States welcome experiments such as this one.
The University of Twente’s press release and a picture of the bricks may be found here.
May sees unexpected retail sales growth in London
For the month of May, retail sales growth in London (+3.5%) far exceeded expectations (-0.1%). Everybody’s congratulating the weather.
“I’m staggered,” said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec. “The figures are just on a completely different plane compared to market expectations. They contradict other anecdotal evidence suggesting retail sales activity is softening. There are bound to be questions about whether they reflect a true picture of activity and they will raise speculation of rate hikes.”
Brian Hilliard at Société Générale said: “It is amazing. I cannot believe this is a reflection of the underlying trend. A stunning number. We suspect weather as the explanation.”