Exercise 8: Improving territories

In Exercise 7: Creating territories using optimal locations, you created territories that were compact but not well balanced. In this exercise, you will change the balance and compactness scores.

Steps:

1. In the Territory Design Toolbar, click SolutionEdit Territory then click Improve Territories.

   Balance territories balances each territory in order to have equally weighted variables.

2. In the Improve Territories dialog box, confirm that the default Territories appears in the Territory level to improve drop-down menu and click the Select Balance territories button.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Improve Territories dialog box, click the Generate a Compare Territory Solutions Report check box.

   The Report title and Report name text boxes populate with the title and names you assigned previously.

5. Click Balancing Options.
6. In the Balancing Options dialog box, confirm that BA Fields 2010 Total Population is in the Selected variable(s) section on the right and click Next.
7. In the Balancing Options dialog box, confirm that Straight line distance is selected in the Measure type drop-down menu and click Next.
8. In the Balancing Options dialog box, confirm that Miles is selected in the Distance units drop-down menu, the Maximum distance from territory center check box is checked and 50 is entered in the text box, the Minimum distance to center of another territory check box is checked and 10 is entered in the text box and the Constrain by attribute capacity check box is checked. Click Next.
9. In the Balancing Options dialog box, click the No holes inside territories check box and confirm that all other check boxes are checked. Move the slider bar as shown below.

   The slider bar sets the compactness and balance. This change balances your territories.

10. Click Next.
11. In the Balancing Options dialog box, click Finish.
12. In the Improve Territories dialog box, click Finish.

    The Working window appears and closes when complete.

    The map appears with territories that are less compact but better statisically balanced.

    To see where the territories measure in relation to the population parameter, follow the steps below.

    1. Right click on the graph and highlight Preferences.

       The Preferences dialog box appears with the Chart tab selected by default.

    2. Confirm that BA Fields 2010 Total Population appears in the Charting column and click the Show balancing lines check box.
    3. Click the Show balancing lines check box and click OK.

    The report shows the comparison of the territories before and after balancing.