Swanson, D.A., and T. Bryan. 2024 “ Using Cluster Analysis to Identify Communities of Interest for Purposes of Legislative Redistricting: A Case study of Parishes in Louisiana. Papers in Applied Geography  (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23754931.2024.2346326)

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology has been found to limit  the kinds of communities that can in principle achieve political representation through redistricting because the process excludes “communities of interest” (COIs) that cannot be mapped. This paper shows how these limits can be overcome using empirically-based variables to define a COI in conjunction with an empirically-based classification system, cluster analysis. Our findings are not only relevant because COIs are important in redistricting, but it demonstrates that the limits identified in regard to the use of GIS-based technology in identifying COIs can be surmounted.