Plane Old Networks by Skye Bender-deMoll.
From the post:
This is a catchall post to collect together a number of interesting network images I’ve run across in the last few years. The common feature is that they are all networks that are based in or arise from geography or spatial processes. Unlike most of the networks we often have to work with, these are mostly “planar” (or nearly so) meaning that they can usually be drawn in two dimensions with minimal crossing and distortion.
I had to reference this post because the networks are interesting and my hometown gets mentioned on one of them. 😉
I do think the author is correct when he speculates:
I have a hunch (but no stats to back it up) that the sorts of networks generated by process that essentially operate on an a flat substrate may be structurally different (have certain specific network properties) than the kinds of networks generated from processes like citations, campaign contributions, ownership relations, or other less-geographic systems.
Assuming there are different network properties, my question would be what underlying cause creates that difference?