Misc
Commuters and Computers: Mapping U.S. Megaregions
Commuters and Computers: Mapping U.S. Megaregions
From California’s Bay Area to the highly-integrated Great Lakes Economy, megaregions are a dominating aspect of human geography and commerce. It should be no surprise then, that 85% of corporate head offices in the US and Canada are overwhelmingly concentrated in the core cities of great megaregions.
We tend to think of cities as individual economic units, but as they expand outward and bleed together, defining them simply by official jurisdictions and borders becomes difficult. After all, many of the imaginary lines divvying up the country are remnants of decisions from centuries ago – and other county and state lines exist for more counterintuitive reasons such as gerrymandering.
What if there was a more data-driven approach to examine America’s urban networks?
Computer, Take The Wheel
By ignoring borders and looking purely at commuter data, geographer Garrett Nelson and urban analyst Alasdair Rae looked to map the relationship between population centers in their paper, An Economic Geography of the United States: From Commutes to Mega-regions.
Researchers used visual and algorithmic approaches to build their map.
The study used network partitioning software to link together 4 million commutes between census tracts. This gives us a very granular look at the “gravitational pull” of America’s population centers, and helps us better understand the economic links that bind a region together.
By combining visual and mathematical approaches, and some creative place-naming, the researchers created a map that they hope reflects America’s true economic geography.
Algorithmic Insights
The concept of megaregions is hardly new, and there are already definitions for global megacities that use everything from infrastructure systems to light patterns derived from satellite imagery.
That said, this research is fine example of using data and an algorithmic approach to look at systems in a new way, unburdened by our political and cultural preconceptions.
Misc
Charted: Car Brand Loyalty in 2024
This ranking of car brand loyalty shows what percentage of owners would buy from the same brand for their next vehicle.
Car Brand Loyalty in 2024
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
This graphic visualizes the best and worst car brands in terms of brand loyalty. This is measured by the % of current owners who would buy from the same brand for their next vehicle.
Data comes from Consumer Reports’ owner satisfaction survey, which includes responses from owners of more than 330,000 vehicles.
Car Brands With the Most Loyal Customers
Rivian takes the top spot in this ranking, with 86% of owners saying they would buy from the brand again. The EV startup has carved an interesting niche for itself with its outdoor adventure-focused models, and despite several recalls, appears to have won the hearts of its early customers.
Company | % who would buy again |
---|---|
🇺🇸 Rivian | 86 |
🇩🇪 Mini | 77 |
🇩🇪 BMW | 76 |
🇩🇪 Porsche | 76 |
🇺🇸 Tesla | 74 |
🇰🇷 Genesis | 73 |
🇯🇵 Lexus | 73 |
🇯🇵 Subaru | 70 |
It’s interesting to note that Tesla held the #1 spot in last year’s ranking.
Car Brands With the Least Loyal Customers
At the other end of the spectrum we have brands with the least loyal customers, suggesting that owners are less satisfied with their purchase.
Company | % who would buy again |
---|---|
🇺🇸 Cadillac | 61 |
🇺🇸 Chrysler | 60 |
🇩🇪 Mercedes-Benz | 59 |
🇩🇪 Audi | 59 |
🇺🇸 Jeep | 58 |
🇯🇵 Nissan | 55 |
🇩🇪 Volkswagen | 51 |
🇯🇵 Infiniti | 43 |
At the bottom of this table is Nissan’s luxury marque, Infiniti, with only 43% of owners saying they would revisit the brand for their next car.
Infiniti dealerships are aware of this alarming trend, and have attributed it to the brand’s aging lineup. In a recent interview, Steve Lapin, Chairman of the Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board, said: “Product is king. Infiniti doesn’t have the right products right now to compete in the marketplace.”
Interested in learning more about the automotive industry? Check out this graphic, which ranks the world’s top 10 exporters of automotive products.
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