Roberts M – TUBE MAP CENTRAL – 2015 2015

Description

The newsletter examines transit-map design trade-offs—simplicity, coherence, topographicity, balance and aesthetics—through monthly case studies. It argues that rigid geometric rules (concentric circles, spokes, octolinear grids) often must be bent to fit real networks: London’s Circle Line roundel and relaxed spokes improve clarity; Barcelona’s elongated orbitals reveal ellipse-scaling issues; Paris’s tilted central bundle benefits from rotated-angle grids but raises typographic problems. Experiments include deliberately bad “compact multilinear” maps (low attractiveness/usability), a reconstructed 1964 New York route-colouring innovation by Raleigh D’Adamo, and updated New York and Milan designs mixing curves and geometry. The author advocates offering both schematic and geographical maps, and suggests hybrids (variable-scale or topographical centres with schematised suburbs) for cities like Berlin. Other projects explore decorative, non-navigational maps (Glasgow, Essex, Chicago) and a neon hexalinear night-Tube concept—demonstrating that design choices must be guided by network shape, user needs, and careful optimisation.