Dot Maps and Southern Florida

Greetings all,
      This post is all about Dot Mapping. That is mapping which uses dots representing a particular value to show the distribution of some discrete (raw data total) phenomena across a given area. The map below was created for this weeks Cartography assignment. Some of the key learning objectives for this week were to determine when and how to employ dot mapping, and to understand the fundamentals that go into creating a good dot map. The population data being mapped was furnished by UWF, and the map itself was created entirely within ArcMAP.

Here is my Southern Florida population distribution map. I've tried to make it as simple a map as possible. It is essentially just dots and legend, not much else. But with these dots there has been a lot of thought. The main principles that go into making a dot map are, where should dots be placed, how big and what value should a dot be, and how should the dots be organized in the areas they get placed. Notice that dots don't fall in any of the wetland areas or on the lakes, but around them. That's because urban areas and subsequently population don't occur on or in these areas. The dots themselves have been aligned with urban areas (not pictured for clutter concerns). But you get the idea by having the wetlands and lakes pictured. Also notice that each dot represents 20,000 people, and you can see the major areas around the coast and some of the key cities with highest populations density because of it. I determined this particular number to be most effective because of one dot in particular. You see the one on the south west bulge of lake Okeechobee? At a 1 to 25,000 dot ratio, that dot is no longer there, but at 1 dot equals 20,000 it is as seen. I wanted to leave the sparsely populated central areas with some representation, but still a high enough number to not overload the densely populated coastal areas with lower valued dots. I hope you enjoy and find some interest in my map. Thank you.