New York City (Photo: playhouse_animation)
Have you ever wondered just how true-to-life the world’s many metro maps actually are? If so, you’re in luck! Recently, Reddit users have started to create animations that compare stylized subway maps with accurate geographical representations. Now, this transit-inspired trend has taken off, with several cities starring as its subjects.
The phenomenon began when vinnivinnivinni, a contributor on the Data is Beautiful subreddit, created and shared a unique map based on Berlin. Rendered as an animated gif, the image shows the well-known, line drawing-like map as it morphs into a more realistic portrayal of the city’s subway system. To create her moving masterpiece, vinnivinnivinni used data from Google Maps, Wikipedia, and the official subway map of Berlin.
Other users on the Data is Beautiful board were so impressed and inspired by vinnivinnivinni’s work that many opted to create their own animated studies. Thanks to these ambitious animators, most major cities around the world now have their own moving maps. The London Underground, the Paris Metro, and the New York Subway are just a few systems whose iconic, illustrated maps have been realistically reimagined as mesmerizing gifs.
If you’re interested in exploring more creative projects rooted in figures and statistics, stop by Data is Beautiful on Reddit.
In a series of animated subway maps, well-known transit maps from cities around the world are cleverly compared to their real-life geography.
Berlin
Photo: vinnivinnivinni
Paris
Photo: hlake
London
Photo: Pham_Trinli
Vienna
Photo: p6788
Oslo
Photo: iamthedestroyer
Rotterdam
Photo: Ghorich
Montreal
Photo: weilian82
Washington DC
Photo: stupidgit
Austin
Photo: MrMason007
Shanghai
Photo: KailoB6
Singapore
Photo: wrcyn
Tokyo
Photo: -Ninja-
São Paulo
Photo: sweedishfishoreo
Barcelona
Photo: MightyMiami
h/t: [Colossal, Twisted Sifter]
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