Atlantic Cities recently wrote about this project by Schema Design that was initially produced as a result of a call for projects for the Urban Data Design Challenge. The intention of the challenge was to use various methods of data visualization to develop insight into public transit in three cities: Philadelphia, Zurich and Geneva. Join us after the break to watch the videos.
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Schema Design's project, as showcased by Atlantic Cities, feature the transit patterns of individuals in each city, giving a very intense look at the way in which people navigate within these particular cities. Designers Christian Marc Schmidt and Sergei Larionov write that the videos developed for this project give insight into the different patterns of city development, overlaid with how people utilize the spaces and the activity that is surrounded by public transit as its infrastructure is overlaid throughout the city.
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The distinctions that arise in each video, given the different layouts of the citits and their transit plans emphasize how unique and distinct cities have been developed and continue to function as a result. Such a simple visualization brings clarity to the issues of urban development. Cities function in certain ways because of the ways in which people are able to use the different spaces. The creators note that these three cities have highly distinguished flows of activity. Zurich has many centers that arise as focal points in the video, Geneva has a central point of congregation, and San Francisco is evenly spread out.
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And while these videos pin-point where people go in their city, and it also highlights the absense of activity in other parts of the city. The implications of such simple patterns can help designers and planners make more informed decisions when anticipating the way in which people move through the city and use public transit.
Via Atlantic Cities
