Tobler's second law of geography

The second law of geography, according to Waldo Tobler, is "the phenomenon external to a geographic area of interest affects what goes on inside.

He first published it in 1999 in reply to a paper titled "Linear pycnophylactic reallocation comment on a paper by D. Martin" and then again in response to criticism of his first law of geography titled "On the First Law of Geography: A Reply".

[1][2] Much of this criticism was centered on the question of if laws were meaningful in geography or any of the social sciences.

Tobler asserted that this phenomenon is common enough to warrant the title of 2nd law of geography.

[11][12] In general, some dispute the entire concept of laws in geography and the social sciences.