I [HEART] maps; I [HEART] Philadelphia.

Graphic designer, Joel Katz, of the amazing city of Philadelphia has created a redesign of the map for city's regional public transit system.  While it is apparently geographically inaccurate - hmmm, seems sort of counterintuitive for a map, no? - it is apparently user-friendly and clearly lays out the order of stations, an important function of a transit map.

Personally, I find the map striking in its design - bold, simple, artistic - to be praised for its form, as well as its function.  The soft curves of each line is not a usual feature of a transit map - a lovely distinctive feature.  One really gets a sense of systems - public transit systems, flowcharts, bodily systems.  It reminds me of a  modern family tree, a scale, a collection of vases and urns.  I like the way the important stuff - Center City, the major subway and elevated lines are bolder and more distinct than the secondary lines to suburbs.  I like the way Philly's two rivers - the Delaware and the Schuykill - are displayed as washes of light blue ribbons.

Born a city-child, I began taking the subway to my public school in seventh grade (Lombard to Spring Garden stations) through high school (Lombard to Olney stations) on the Broad Street line.  I think I turned out OK.