Marc Treib - Mapping Experience

Mapping Experience
Author(s): Marc Treib

Source: Design Quarterly, No. 115, Mapping Experience (1980), pp. 1+3-32
Published by: Walker Art Center
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Design Quarterly 1 1 5
Mapping Experience
Marc Treib ________________
Contents Notions
of
Space ................................................... 5
Representation
and
the Experience
of Place ................................................ 6
Limits
of
Projection
Systems ................................................ 10
Invisible
Relationships ............................................ 11
The User
and
the Task ............................. 13
The
City
Character
Print ..................................................18
Case Study
San Francisco ............................. 30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- A- Xi
Notions The city . .. [consists of] . . . relationships between the measurements
of of its space and the events of its past: the height of a lamppost and the
Space distance from the ground of a hanged usurper's swaying feet; the line
strung from the lamppost to the railing opposite and the festoons that
decorate the course of the queen's nuptial procession; the height of
that railing and the leap of the adulterer who climbed over it at dawn;
the tilt of a guttering and a cat's progress along it as he slips into the
same window; the firing range of a gunboat which has suddenly
appeared beyond the cape and the bomb that destroys the guttering;
the rips in the fish net and the three old men seated on the dock
mending nets and telling each other for the hundredth time the story
of the gunboat of the usurper, who some say was the queen's
illegitimate son, abandoned in his swaddling clothes there on the dock.
italo Calvino, INVISIBLE CITIES
Architectural Monument Feature Map. Philosopher Martin Heidegger, in a 1954 essay, distinguishes two
Copenhagen, Denmark. In this design by
fundamental concepts of space: quantitative or measurable, and
Jacob Sneum, the city becomes a
compressed arrangement of its major qualitative or experiential.1 Maps depict both kinds of space. Some
architectural monuments. The delicate are designed primarily for the communication of metric or topographic
linework and Danish flags streaming
information. Others attempt to project a qualitative image of a place.
from nearly every building function to
weld the buildings together to create an But no map falls only into one camp; all of them must deal, if only in
image of the city rather than to reference a limited way, with both concepts of space. There is no spatial
topography.
representation free of spatial conception. In our rational Western
Copenhagen Axonometric Map. tradition, we have conceived space as something which can be
Skandinaviske Billedkort, Aarhus, Denmark. measured, divided, sub-divided and multiplied. It is a quantity; a
In the tradition of the Bollmann view maps,
three-dimensional quantity. Whether measurement is based on the
this detailed, softly shaded axonometric
provides a highly accurate picture of body, like the foot and inch system, or based on the subdivision of the
Copenhagen. The point of view, established earth, as in the metric system, there is implicit in these measurement
for the sake of graphic convenience, differs
systems the idea of space as homogeneous-homogeneous in dimension
to some degree from the usual on-site
orientation around the city hall plaza or and material: like a cake, consistent through and through. A cut into it
Central Station. Almost all of these view in one place is like a cut anywhere else.
maps include a plan of the city on the
reverse side. The makers seem to be aware
of the limitations of the axonometric view. But do we actually experience the world in equal and repetitive terms?
Probably not. If we think, for example, of auto travel on the freeway
Copenhagen Street Map. An enlarged
segment of central Copenhagen in which
and the side street, we can see that space is not perceived as being equal
major thoroughfares are emphasized for in experiential quality. When we move at high speeds, space and
tourist convenience.
distance are collapsed; we find it difficult to judge distance or relate
it to our more normal driving experience. We rely on the mile signs
along the highway, and learn not to trust a friend's " . . . a few minutes
from here," on the Los Angeles freeway system. Similarly, the two
streets of a one-way pair are perceived as being quite distinct in what
is seen and what is felt.
1. Martin Heidegger, Poetry, Language, Thought, 1971.
Representation In Eudoxia, which spreads both upward and down, with winding alleys,
steps, dead ends, hovels, a carpet is preserved in which you can observe
and
the city's true form. At first sight nothing seems to resemble Eudoxia
the Experience
less than the design of that carpet . . . For some time the augurs had
of Place been sure that the carpet's harmonious pattern was of divine origin.
The oracle was interpreted in this sense, arousing no controversy. But
you could, similarly, come to the opposite conclusion: that the true
map of the universe is the city of Eudoxia, just as it is, a stain that
spreads out shapelessly, with crooked streets, houses that crumble one
upon the other amid clouds of dust, fires, screams in the darkness.
Italo Calvino, INVISIBLE CITIES
All communication depends upon accepted conventions. If there is

opposite: Unlike the section of gridded
street map (top) that makes no
no agreement, there is no mutual understanding. Because it is a
differentiation between secondary street
widths, a plat detail of the same Minneapolis conventionalized form, the map imposes a structure on the world,
area indicates proportional differences rather than merely describing it. Thus maps, like all other graphic
based on actual physical dimensions.
forms, are not neutral. How something is depicted-or even suggested-
is as strongly meaningful as the subject itself. A map imposes a
restricted view of the world for a particular purpose. To use a map
correctly its specific structure must be learned.
Though maps share certain properties of language, they should not be

regarded as true languages in themselves. 2 For unlike a language of
words, the language of symbols used for maps is not consistent from
one map to another. In the London Underground map, for example,
one must learn to read the tabs as stations, the solid colored lines
as routes, circles as transfer stations, and colors as a system of
coding. (More is said about this important contribution to the history
of cartography on p 11.) To alleviate the problem of inconsistency, a
legend is included with most maps to assist the user: it is the vocabulary,
if not the exact grammar, made explicit. These elements exist only
in a fixed relation to the "grammar" or logic of a particular map,
and are not necessarily transferable.
2. Arthur H. Robinson and Barbara B. Petchenik,

The Nature of Maps:
Essays Toward Understanding Maps & Mapping, 1976.
Most 19th-century American cities were planned on the grid. The grid
U) U_Z
by which the American city is plotted is the extreme form of our
V 0-0 B A Q6V
traditional definition of space: extreme in its use of incessantly
Pk RP 4 ie-.__ se'Ji.ft S repetitive units. The grid, or gridiron, as an urban form, employs a
network of streets arranged at right angles to one another. A relatively
rational manner of surveying, it assures the democratic distribution of
streets and blocks-though it often completely ignores topography.
St ~ t ~ o Each street is plotted with the same width; only one or two arteries
named Main Street or Broadway, might be given more ample

dimensions. The blocks that are formed, on the other hand, are
rectangular and regular-neatly divided into eminently salable units.
X t iGA4>S 4% H ELBAN
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On a plat or "double line" map, we find the streets delineated in
proportional relation to their true physical dimensions: the common
1' ~ ~ ~ ~ H
streets are all of one width; the boulevards are shown correspondingly
larger. These distinctions begin to disappear, however, in the smaller
AT
scale of the average city street map. Though primary arteries may still
be shown using heavy black lines, the width of those lines, like the
remainder of the streets, no longer corresponds to true dimensions.
We see, for the first time, the departure from proportional accuracy,
2 #1~~~~~~~~1
and the utilization of abstraction to illustrate a conceptual system
rather than to relate only physical conditions. Elements of experience,
even at this level, have already been sacrificed for a structural overview.
What one derives from reading an ordinary street map is a sense of

structural order: the scheme, the ideas behind it, a sense of the streets
intersecting at right angles, their overall sizes, their orientation. We
derive an impression of equality of the streets, the blocks, and the
relation of each piece to the next. Do we experience any grid town in
terms of these cross-linear arrangements? Does this conceptual order
actually exist?
The answer is obviously "no," as any recollection of our actual

experience of a city will show. To begin with, our perception of place
is not two dimensional. Places are three dimensional at minimum and
four dimensional if we add movement through space to our awareness
of height, width and length. Experientially, a street lined with tall
buildings will be quite different from an equally wide street dotted with
bungalows; a street lined with bushy trees is distinct from one bordered
by a series of vacant lots. Though they might be of equal width, a street
in New York is experienced quite differently from one in San Francisco.
Main streets, through streets, one-way streets or unbroken arteries, are
regarded as quite different from short, interrupted street segments with
a stop sign at each corner. The through street dominates our cognitive
map, the stop street recedes in the mind, shrinking to alley or
non-entity status. We begin to think in large units, bounded by through
streets that we can count on for fast travel. The street map, once again,
communicates almost nothing of experience; it is high on conceptual
order, low on experiential communication.
This is not to say that the spatial or experiential aspects of perception

are always found lacking in maps: only in certain kinds of maps.
Street maps assume a flat rendering of physical or conceptual space,
a view taken perpendicular to the plane of the drawing or surface
drawn. This type of view, known as orthographic projection, attempts
A precursor of the post-Renaissance city accurately to portray, in scaled proportion, a description of formal,
map, this 1493 woodcut view of Venice geometric relationships. A right angle in these views remains a right
is from Hartmann Schedel's Liber
angle. The only sense of the third dimension in these maps is the
Chronicarum. Known more familiarly
as the Nuremberg Chronicle, after the place height suggested on occasion by rendering shadows.
where it was published by Anton Koberger,
it is one of the earliest works of urban
Pictorial views, the most common form of urban depiction prior to the
topography.
Renaissance, trade off this geometric accuracy for recognizable features
in the city's landscape. Key buildings are featured, if not exaggerated,
and often the hierarchy of the forms drawn is more symbolic than
realistic. For example, the most important building in a town such as
the cathedral or the town hall, might be portrayed largest. Many view
maps, slanted toward the tourist, employ this type of rendering. And
some maps, for example the 19th-century lithographic views of towns
across the United States, illustrate a dual concern for structural order
(the town's grid comes across clearly for the railroad towns) as well as
the character and features of a place. (It should be noted, however,
that in many instances these are idealized views of a town that was
to be-or has never become!)
P.i?Ib041T Mkl-
r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i . . . . . . . | . . .
.S . . . . . . . P .-
- iE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . ... ...
X~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"l* l _e _ P.,
Ansicht von New Unm, Minnesota,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
collection Minnesota Historical Society.

An 1860 view of New Ulm bordered
decoratively on two sides with town
landmarks selected by artist
Julius Berndt.
New York Picture and Street Map.

Bollmann-Bildkarten-Verlag KG,
rA _0
Braunschweig, W. Germany. Made from
over 67,000 photographs-17,000 of
which were aerial views-this axonometric
drawing of midtown Manhattan is a
cartographic triumph over a mass of
information. Disproportionately wide
streets ensure legibility, if not accuracy
99
to scale.
9~~~~~~~~0
Limits Elements of both the plan (orthographic) map and the view map are
of found in various composite forms that have been derived over the years.
Projection Perspective drawing has the limitation of the single point of view as
Systems well as the more troublesome problem of foreshortening: the
condensation of form towards the rear of the picture space. To counter
this, many maps employ dimetric (drawing with two axes) graphic
systems that show two sides of buildings in addition to their roofs.
The view will always be from the air, although in theory, a worm's
eye viewpoint also could be used. Isometric and axonometric views,
in which the plane of drawing is turned at an angle to the object
portrayed, are the most commonly used graphic projection systems.
In isometric drawing, in which both visible building sides form a
30 degree angle to a horizontal base line, a right angle is represented
by an angle of 120 degrees. In axonometric drawing, which can vary
in its inclination, although 45/45 degree and 30/60 degree are the most
common, all angles in plan remain true. The right angle remains a
120 right angle. Although isometric projection "opens" the rectangle and
shows more detail in the sides, axonometric is by far the more common
form, primarily for the relative simplicity of its construction: a drawing
can easily be worked up from a plan. What all these systems make clear
3 0 30 is the vast difference between the world as described through scale
geometry and the world as experienced.3
Isometric
90
60
30 From Michelin Tire Corporation's
N 4/^ s s Green Guide to New York City,

Axonometric 4th edition.
3. For an analysis of descriptive drawing techniques

as applied to city views,
see Design Quarterly 113-114, City Segments, 1980, pp 4-7.
10
Invisible A map of Esmeralda should include, marked in different colored inks,
Relationships all these routes, solid and liquid, evident and hidden. It is more difficult
to fix on the map the routes of the swallows, who cut the air over the
roofs, dropping long invisible parabolas with their still wings, darting to
gulp a mosquito, spiraling upward, grazing a pinnacle, dominating from
every point of their airy paths all the points of the city.
Italo Calvino, INVISIBLE CITIES
All maps have a spatial reference in the real world, but such
relationships do not necessarily have proportionally corresponding
-; r \*- ; features in an actual place. In reading a topographic map, we can easily
4~~~~~~m F q l * . C6S= V 4-
create an image of a place in two dimensions and to some extent-
a -~~~~~~~~~~-W
with experience in relating maps to real places-can project three and
St 'lt _ a4a
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four-dimensional experiences of that place. We learn in short order that
contour lines close together indicate a steeper slope, a more difficult
trip, and by implication a longer walking time than do lines further
apart. As a result, we adjust our reading to translate this map based
as . ar 'r' )e r
on physical scale into one that implies the time needed to traverse the
space. The same is true for the road map: we translate the thin black
lines for local roads into longer travel time than that needed for
throughways. We know, from experience, that on these roads we must
allow more time for stop signs; for frequent or exaggerated curves;
for poor road conditions. The double line indications for freeways
are even more accurate as predictive devices since these road
London Tube Diagram of Lines. Paul E.

conditions are more standardized. 55mph divided into the distance
Garbutt (Harvey C. Beck) for London gives us the driving time. With the exception of time-structured road
Underground, 1979. The terrestrial world
diagram networks often found in atlases, however, few maps base their
has been entirely eliminated and transit
reduced to a flow diagram. Compressed
scale on time rather than space.
scale in outlying areas allows room for
more detail in the dense central section.
The route network map for the London Underground, designed in
1931 by Henry C. Beck, though diagrammatic and extremely abstract,
still has a spatial referent. The major innovation in the design of this
map was the realization that although to find the stations is critical,
the primary function of this map is to help the traveler to go from one
11
station to another. Reintegration into a neighborhood was of secondary
concern, important only after arrival at a station. After all, one can't
see streets, buildings, or other landmarks while engaged in subterranean
travel. In using a transit map the important tasks are to ascertain where
you are, to locate where you want to go, and to determine the optimal
route for getting there. Confirmation of that route is the function of
signing. When one looks at maps in this light, the legitimacy of the
basic network map and the linear, single-route maps placed in individual
subway cars is confirmed. In these maps then, in particular the
underground map and its bus and railroad map progeny, there is only
a passing conceptual resemblance to the actual context in which the
spatial reference is located. They are primarily maps of unseen
relationships: the non-visible made visible.
Shokoku Dochu Goannai (Honorable Road The linear form used in these maps, the simplification of land forms,
Guide to the Various Provinces). Reprinted or the use of geometric abstraction is not entirely a recent arrival on
by Nakazawa Publishing, Nagano, from the
the cartographic scene. In historical Japanese maps, such as those
18th-century original. The tabs at the top
depicting major highways like the Tokaido, immortalized in the
of each page indicate provinces.
woodblock prints of Ando Hiroshige, the road is treated as a linear
route upon which things act. In simplified form, these maps illustrate
the overall structure of the island and the roads, but the emphasis is
placed on the road as a vehicle for getting from here to there. It is
almost as if the traveler were to remain in one place, as though on a
treadmill, while the events pass by in relation to a stationary point.
A similar linear orientation is used in the route maps in the London
Underground cars, in which stops are indicated sequentially along an
1-580. S 5=
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abstract single line that symbolizes the route of a specific train.
goke braow _
foothills of the 15
Today's Triptik route maps produced by the AAA share this
coastal rarl ifi MMODESTO 132
across the vast _0 ,
agriculture of MRo f
conceptual structure.
theSanJoaquin Po- WOW
Valy J2:22 PAR
Triptik Linear Road Map. American Linear Route Map. London

Automobile Association, 1970. The Underground, London Transport.
69 MERCt> ED land has been ordered into a vertical Each subway car contains a route map
road format. Mileage is indicated on that reduces the path of the train to a
the right side and key intersections on straight line. Transfer points and other
- ftau gs i s
t >>\ : \0 5 04 7
the left. A complete map of the area, subway lines are shown in relation to
- v\>e 1 zf- (ffi13~~~~~~~76
x _ *s~~~~~~~7 with a box indicating the area covered this path.
by the Triptik, is included on the reverse.
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The User
and
the Task
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aos
New York Subway Guide. Massimo Vignelli

for the New York City Transit Authority,
1972. It is difficult to believe that there
was such negative reaction to this map of
many strengths. While great liberties have
been taken with the rendering of water and
parks-drastic departures from the blue and
green of tradition-this map provides more
I~~~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~ t"1 $a6w %
_~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *OL a
immediate information than its replacement.
The problem is that information comes all
at once, and the map user suffers overload. s y:> , 3i[> SE ] R _ 1jC 3..'qN],_.
New York City Subway Map. New York

City Transit Authority, 1979. This map
< : S: AL s wu :2i.-F i4 wo~~~~~~~~P
returns from the strict abstract geometry
of the Vignelli map to more conventional @1~~~~~~~. 6' F
representations. Most important is the
inclusion of key streets, parks and '~~~~ * nsnw. ~ ~ MW Vie
waterways as orientation features. In

addition, entire routes are indicated, rather
"a-'ut~aua"
. t. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - Sm * B"at N\ga
than individual trains. Although this map
is much easier to grasp at first glance than
Vignelli's, it demands constant turning
from back to front in order to relate specific
routes to the more general pattern. o 6flfl a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oK
r a Wg K ! wN i" il<9~~~*6*
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13
Any discussion of mapping involves the triangular interrelationship of
the task, the user, and the graphic form that results from specific
constraints. Designers and cartographers can enter the triangle from any
corner-they can stress one characteristic over another, or one at the
expense of the others. A good example is the New York City subway
map designed by the office of Massimo Vignelli, a map that has been
the cause of many riders' frustrations. In response to user complaints,

the Vignelli map has been superseded by a new map which at first sight
seems quite old-fashioned. But is it?
The Vignelli map is one of the many offspring of the London

Underground prototype referred to earlier. In its rendering, certain
liberties were taken in the proportions of Manhattan and the other
boroughs. The designer, one assumes with the approval of the transit
authority, stressed an abstract picture of the routes rather than the
relation of these routes to the city's streets or topographic form.
Routes are shown adjacent to one another, and each one is shown in
its entirety with minimal distances between the color stripes coding
them. This approach is, in itself, not unusual and could have led to a
more successful solution than it did. But the map also departed from
several near-standard conventions, including the use of the colors green
for parks and blue for water. While some might regard the use of brown
for parks and water in New York as completely realistic, to many other
map users it undermines the legibility of key landmark features such as
Central Park and the rivers.
Collectively, the graphic design decisions make reading difficult, and

the difficulties are compounded by the subtle shading of some of the
colors, making routes arduous to distinguish. With this design it is
difficult for the novice out-of-towner to extract an overall sense of
the system.
The transit authority's own replacement map is not necessarily more

successful overall than Vignelli's; it just emphasizes different ideas and
breaks down the reading of route information into a sequence. How the
subway lines relate to the New York street pattern and to major
landmarks are shown first; then these routes are illustrated in greater
detail-but one must find this information on the reverse side.
14
The Vignelli map presents all this information on one side, and includes
an enlarged central section for easier reading. These two maps represent,
in distinct graphic forms, how a map's design determines the reading of
it and the sequence in which it can be read.
In almost all instances of communication, some bits of information

must be regarded as more important than others. In order to
successfully communicate, a graphic piece must order information to
conform with the task at hand. A successful subway map reads as an
easily comprehensible diagram, stripped to a pure functional expression
with a clearly articulated set of elements and grammar. Other maps
have different tasks and hence, different forms.
A certain amount of exposure and education is required to understand

overleaf: Minneapolis. City Character Print. any map. The user must learn the code, the necessary clues to
Archar Inc., Toronto, 1980. An excellent understanding a subway map: that a solid color indicates a certain
example of the mature Archar style, all the
train line, that a stub indicates a station, or a circle a transfer station.
features and notes fit together nicely.
But once the code is known and the information is assimilated and
becomes part of that person's store of knowledge, this knowledge can
be applied to other maps in the same graphic family. Learning is
required-but the learning is specific, with an immediate and
tangible payoff.
The reading of a subway diagram provides little information or insight

into the relation of the underground system to the city above it. Due
to the powerful effect of the underground map, many visitors sense the
structure of urban London as the structure of the underground. It is
only through extensive surface travel that we learn that Leicester
Square and Piccadilly Circus are actually adjacent to each other. On the
route map they appear one station apart, which we read as a fixed
spatial interval. The diagrammatic structure of the underground map is
clear, articulate, and legible-all the things that London as a city is not.
The mind more easily comprehends the simplified nature of the map
than the meandering streets and squares of the city's urban fabric.
The map is a geometric distortion, an adjustment of actual topographic
relationships to a geometric regularizing idea. The simplified structure
of the map is used to organize the intricate form of the city so that
reality is perceived through the filter of the map.
15
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The Pictorial "feature" maps, "city character prints," or city or country
City advertising maps, stress image and connotation. It is the image of the
Character place and those elements which contribute to the formation of the
Print image that are regarded as primary. First and foremost these pictorial
maps describe the character and a quality of a place. Whether
symbolization is used to represent a city with an image such as the
Golden Gate Bridge or a cable car for San Francisco, or the composite
architectural monument image map of Copenhagen, each one features
connotation as its primary role in place of urban structure.
If the subway route map sits at one pole on the objectivity/subjectivity

scale, the city character print, or feature map, sits far to the opposite
end. The route map aims at being matter of fact, explicitly stating
hidden orders and relationships, so that transportation can be quickly
Denver. City Character Print. and easily effected. The feature map portrays nothing of the kind.
Archar Inc., Toronto, 1980. A detail of What it presents is connotation: feelings about a place based on
skiers in this well-integrated feature map of
multi-sensory and extra-sensory experience. What makes a place?
Denver represents the "state of the art"
of this popular form. Certainly the topography and vegetation, the street system (especially
in a city like New York), the buildings. But these create only the basic
physical framework, the stage set upon which the activities that fill
out and define the place transpire. How can we illustrate the other
aspects that contribute to our sense of place? How can we suggest the
presence and character of people, of events over time?
r u
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The Ri
* .,..,-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~........
18
The reasons for making pictorial maps vary, as do their forms. Some
feature maps attempt to create a desirable atmosphere, a "booster"
image so positive and intriguing that it will draw visitors. By isolating
certain key, iconic features, the city can be symbolized. The map
assembles places and notes events: those one must see to have
"been there." But mapping is also selective, and as these maps show us
what is positive and desirable, they do not show us what is undesirable.
We never see slums, buildings in poor condition, suggestions of danger.
The feature map is an optimistic world view, an image which focuses on
only the positive aspects of urban, and in some instances, rural life.
Of the firms making this type of map, Archar in Toronto has probably
produced the largest number: "city character prints" of over 70 cities
in the United States and Canada. The process is an interesting one, not
Fisheye Panoramic View Map. The Summit, only in cartographic terms, but also in illustrating how a non-native
Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan. research team can assemble a substantial amount of a city's self images:
Reproduced from a beverage napkin, this
cultural, historical and even folkloric.
map renders a 360 degree perspective view
of the Detroit cityscape from atop
Renaissance Center. Visitors to The Summit These maps are created for profit and this definitely colors the way in
cocktail lounge can identify key landmarks
which features are assembled and treated. Character prints, in fact,
of Detroit and elements of the surrounding
countryside by matching numbers in the are an interesting blend of the cultural and the commerical which
center of the map with numbers on makes them, in some ways, the successors of the lithographic views of
window frames.
cities across the country made during the 19th century-whether for
profit, civic pride, or both.
As in any other cartographic technique, the technique itself, the

O roT%N projection system and the actual media employed greatly "color"
:,H the look and message of the map. Comparing several Archar prints, one
sees a great similarity in style, although the firm's technique does allow
some variation. But the consistency is so strong that one has a difficult
time distinguishing cities at first look since the graphic sauce which is
overlayed on all the cities tends to obscure their differences. In a
vI0,E
low-rise city like Minneapolis, great liberties had to be taken in order
to have any single feature read. In the end, the exaggeration of the
small high-rise central area throws the look of the city out of whack.
But accurate depiction of buildings, the function of the detailed
axonometric maps by Bollmann, is not the intention of feature maps.
These are projections of the experience of a place, its inhabitants, its
events, memories of all of these mixed and blended together. The
experience they depict may not match mine or yours. But that is the
inherent limitation of any mapping system which attempts to achieve
personality and feeling over objective, non-connotative, truth.
19
Pic-Tour Map of New Mexico. Don
Bloodgood, artist, published by
Petley Studios, Phoenix, Arizona.
All sections of the state are given equal
importance; a feature is illustrated in every
area, and roads serve only as devices to
connect them. Although the image of a
feature-filled landscape misrepresents the
sense of open space one actually experiences
while driving across the state, the map is
meant to be diagrammatic and narrative,
rather than descriptive.
20
"Venezia Monumentale" Plan Guide.
Vincitorio Editore, Milan. A somewhat
crude yet charming map/view of Venice that
emphasizes buildings lining the Grand Canal
in a quasi-perspectival rendering. Presumably
for the convenience of the viewer, some
buildings have been rotated so that all
facades are visible.
21
There is an indelible interrelationship between the intended use of a
map, its cultural assumptions, its constituent user group, and the
resulting graphic form that the map must take to satisfy these criteria.
No map is ever perfect, even if its tasks and users are clearly identified
and the map is designed precisely for these criteria. No map matches
our own experience of a place, although, as we have seen in the London
Underground diagram, a map can so strongly color our experience of
a place that we perceive it in terms of the map's structure or character.
Whether designed for metrical or cognitive purposes, the map remains
a prime vehicle for the communication of spatial relationships, existing
or virtual. When we look at a map, we attempt to extract the ordered
and structured memories of others who have preceded us to that place;
or we try to derive some insight into the nature of that place which will
match what we experience there. In both instances then-as the
memory of others, or as our own spatial predictions-maps are the
projections of experience.
In this segment of Fifth Avenue highlighting

the Empire State Building the street pattern
is illustrated in plan and landmarks are
emphasized through axonometric projection.
From Michelin Tire Corporation's Green
Guide to New York City, 4th edition, the
selection is a typical example of the book's
usable and beautiful urban maps.
22
| < a s ti : S; j ::Z e h 05 .ul iof tf l=W H~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~....... .:N-~I. ...
:~~~
At. ~ .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-4 . . . . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ j~.~
Landeskarte der Schweiz. Precisely rendered . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . . . .
MN . . . . . . . . . R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~ .
Finsteraarhorr^. Sheet 1269 fro n the series~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--ENr. .... . .I t
... -..-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~... . .
. - .
23
ui..9. WUEt233. ..
se .o
Oknw WVc
0~~~ .
-~ ~ Rwre Ma fJpn hscee

landassef Jaan gves he cuntr a
is u
as a p o
24i7ta
Sea~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~ra"InadSafrth is ie
i . W. :'11~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~W
iE
Dance Map: "Hagoromo." Kanze-ryu shimai

nyumon katasuki. (An Introduction to the
Dance Patterns of the Kanze School.)
Hinoki Shoden, Kyoto, 1980. Each map
includes a plan of the stage with the pillars
used for keying movement. The pattern of
the dance movement is the main image while
the words of the accompanying chant are
used to clue pace and position.
25
RALLALE LWJL*: ~ lV W$SMa24-PIV
= :-,: :. . . . . . . .:-= H' _ . . . . . . . '

. .. .....S. p -i .. . .. ..A .
Aerial Target Maps. Ballale Island. KEY

Hydrographic Office, Washington,- ~D. C.,
~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ., A. A- "I. Supl &- 1 ii| Ma 1I
1943. Provided as compact maps for aerial
attack targets, these maps were used in pairs:
i . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ship AZtlhe . &

an annotated aerial photograph to show
what a place would look like from the air,
and an orthographic map to show the true
shape and contours.
_ _ . " ' . 5 _ _ 15!
. ALLALE.. I TAGE uta.i.e X m fw itl ino.i-r
26
7 V.Ct. ~ ~ ~ ?(Ofj *U7L..J
Advertisement for a Men's Shop. Okayama, |_|9?

Japan. No advertisement, even for formal | irsn;1XSZ . . . . ... . . ,,. ,_ , . . .. .............................................................. . . .... . ..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. . . ... . .
wear, is complete without a map showing
there are several branches of the store.
ata~ *.s s ioooqw. o.sOOO. P3uL<1X-7#^tt461iSzv, ~~'Ml*Afl5SlOt t qrPe2-owa@o ttb *.4LOM1O*.3
_ * |]= i' e?arn-.-etts

where to *find themerchandise-evn if
22,000 250000 11800 15soon

259000-299000 0 0&8004800O
- f% J Mc?f9 l r Aut2O oM 49,8'M A 7Lk ^X*ts i4X^W9 (*
AM H. u . 7. (.J M ,t 5*53 95.-.*5
v ^'-stm , F t'.\YTgL. 08M2M701 YE:L. 062:.32-557 TELASM3673 TL0%.{dt_|---1g1--
Painted advertisement at a railroad station, i AA

Osaka, Japan. In this case a map is included
at the lower right of the sign.
Photo: Marc Treib, 1978
.S. | Ill5tE@lRa E5a .TRlta it -Ef-fi -1MA 6 X AAYZ*s 4 :
27
j BROADWAY ThEATE~~~~~~~~~~~~~..R RET-AtA n
-0-
I-En-3m..,~~~T .... .. ..
lip.. imEI&.I.
... ........ .... . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ w 44

I-1
tiina...-.m -
2-La
SfIlAS40'
... .. l ... ..o...
-l.a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. ......
Three examples from Flashmaps! The~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.... ....
19 78-79 Instant Guide to New York. ~~~ ~ ..... ...
The map of Manhattan neighborhoods~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. . ... .......... .......
neihbrhoodapls trom indiatesheas muTilevel

identity ofnplaces Drawn in 1972 this.
the same, relationships and uses do change.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, ttioi
Broadwayof TheateRstaurants,hbareod
addictisonalneamples of the veryouspeii
Thea densit ofrew Yokuit y'scrae diverse, .......

cromplxuctdivtictis and imrnteighovrhood..
adnaltyses. ae.Drw i 92ti
mapwoud nw iclue SHoandTrieca .... .28.
*e~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- { -
X . , f w w l; . TSPERE \e~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~KOKO.
i .... . 1 tti i . _ 1 | l (~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~VAS
Ju BRLnC| |UPL aJ /2 Z5
Auto S
| - 1|--- J aTMgn l K i 2 S e i X~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~YVSKL

_ aN. soqO?eo W~~~AVL
Z 1<1'" < *'' ','.1 ; X^iY ! ~ ~ ~ ~ 9.15 Bore I/Svea Corona 1 0.00/
X*4*201- ('J - 1S1408._ ^07 3
X . .12 ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 s :_l 9.30 Fennia-Lauant. 8/9-19/4-----1l)30
y3.. 07.-- <3 g j4 0 00 BoreI/Svea Corona 21.309 1=< N | 7 0.=......10

tVASTCAAS 1. ;- n R 5 = 0 0 > GSCrn 0Q
, ., I Q I! X-ja?__ _ _ _ _ ^ .irx ., .S1_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. . . . .
O RC;BRO..........i_ 0 0........ Bore Star/Wellamo
_ -- --- -- -- ---
. ,;...... ... . -....... . ... .. ..-
HE -. SI G _ R ..... .. .. . _._.__. ... s. ............ NO RK R N
/. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~99 Stchom Tuk an Hesik arew- ,sa
I GOTE80RG\; | ] ' | | | i .. . _a li] M ^ t . I I . | 0 I * _ W~~~~~.1 . 1 '11. .
Case
Study
San
Francisco v
Marc Treib, who lives

extensive collection of San Francisco maps. e6
The four shown here provide some idea of
the diverse images that are generated by
map makers from a single place, each with a
specific purpose and audience in mind.
San Francisco Street Map. California State -

Automobl Asocaton.179.Athug
a typical example of a downtown area
enlarged to offer detailed information, i,
this double line map is remarkable for its.......
refined resolution of line work and color. A
San Francisco Tour Map. Tourmap
depicted as a place to spend money. Over

a curiously tilted base grid, with a vast ".:^+ j j ......... ^
distortion of the landform, loom the s ;bj
elevations or axonometrics of important .... . i....... 1,
places-hotels, restaurants, entertainment
spots. In comparison to the maps depicting

only streets or routes, however, the *
San Francisco Tour Map brings the city
to life.
eleaton N
oraoomtis -
fipotn w5
30
A Bird's Eye Panoramic Map of
San Francisco. John Tomlinson for The
Picture Map Company, San Francisco,
1976. This view includes several of theE
most distinctive elements of the city's M
patterns: the diagonal of Columbus Avenue, M
the building density in the financial district,
the great shift at Market Street and the 1
contour of the hills. A
San Francisco. Funny Funny World,

illustrated by Henry Hinton, 1975.
A crazy quilt of all those features fori
which San Francisco is known, this map
evokes mood, but it does not depict
topographic relationships. The map projects
a tourist's experience: to have seen these
illustrated by Henry Hinton, 1975.~~~~~~~~~~~.t .r
features is to have "seen" San Francisco.
A ray ultofa tos faurs:o
which San Francisco is known, this map
evokesmood, ut it oes no depic
topographic relationsips. The map project
a ouis'sexerene:tohae ee tes ... ..._
features~~~~~~~ ist ae"en a rnic._
E !~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-31;
Biography Bibliography Walker Art Center Board of Directors
Marc Treib is Associate Professor of Calvino, Italo. Invisible Cities. Translated by Alice E. Wittenberg, Chairman
Architecture at the University of William Weaver. New York: Harcourt C. Angus Wurtele, President
California, Berkeley, and holds masters Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974. E. Peter Gillette, Jr., Vice President
degrees in architecture and graphic Mrs. Edson W. Spencer, Vice President
design. He is a frequent contributor to Clay, Grady. Close-up: How to Read the Martin Friedman, Secretary
architecture and design journals such as American City. Chicago: University of Donald C. Borrman, Treasurer
Progressive Architecture, Idea (Japan), Chicago Press, 1973, 1980.
Architectural Association Quarterly H. Brewster Atwater, Jr.
(England), and Print. A freelance Downs, Roger M. and Stea, David. Howard E. Barnhill
graphic designer, Mr. Treib's work has Maps in Minds: Reflections on Cognitive Dean Belbas
been published in Print, Form Mapping. New York: Harper & Row Pubs., Peter M. Butler
(Sweden), Idea, and annuals such as the Inc., 1977. John B. Davis, Jr.
Print Casebooks and the Graphis Poster Mrs. Julius E. Davis
Annuals. His Guide to the Gardens of Heidegger, Martin. Poetry, Language, Mrs. Kenneth N. Dayton
Kyoto, written with Ron Herman, was Thought. Translated by Alfred Hofstadter.Mark B. Dayton
published this spring in Japan by New York: Harper & Row Pubs., Inc., 1971.Mrs. David H. Griffith
Shufunotomo. Roger L. Hale
Lynch, Kevin. Image of the City. Wellington S. Henderson, Jr.
Dedication of sorts: Cambridge: MIT Press, 1960. Erwin A. Kelen
For Dana Cuff, who provided the first Elizabeth A. Kelly
real map. Neisser, Ulric. Cognition & Reality: Mrs. David M. Lilly
Principles and Implications of Cognitive Kenneth A. Macke
Psychology. San Francisco: W. H. FreemanMrs. L. Robert Marsh, Jr.
& Co., 1976. Mrs. Malcolm A. McCannel
Credits Roderick A. McManigal
Nihon-no-Kochizu (Old Maps of Japan). Glen D. Nelson, MD
Abridged excerpts from INVISIBLE (16 volumes) Tokyo: Kodansha PublishingLawrence Perlman
CITIES by Italo Calvino are reproduced Corp., 1977. Mrs. Michael Roeder
by permission of Harcourt Brace John A. Rollwagen
Jovanovich, Inc.; copyright ?)1972 Prak, Niels L. The Visual Perception of the Mrs. Edmond R. Ruben
by Giulio Einaudi editore s.p.a.; Built Environment. Delft: Delft University James P. Shannon
translation copyright ? 1974 by Press, 1977. Janet Shapiro
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. Mrs. Justin V. Smith
p 7 (top): ? Rand McNally & Reps, John W. Cities on Stone: Nineteenth Marvin Trammel
Company, R. L. 80-Y-109. Century Lithograph Images of the Urban Philip Von Blon
p 23: ? Reproduced with the West. Fort Worth: Amon Carter Museum ofBerta B. Walker
permission of the Federal Office of Western Art, 1976. Brooks Walker, Jr.
Topography, Wabern, Switzerland from John C. Walker
Oct. 30, 1980. Robinson, Arthur H. and Petchenik, Sylvia Adrian Walker
p 30 (top): Basic map reproduced by Barbara B. The Nature of Maps: Essays Mrs. Walter W. Walker
permission of the Califomia State Toward Understanding Maps & Mapping. Mrs. Dale K. Warner
Automobile Association copyright Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. David M. Winton
owner.
Mrs. Calvin B. Yeates
Treib, Marc. "Reading the City: Maps,
Images and the Japanese Sense of Place," Ex-Officio
Idea (Japan) no. 157, November, 1979, Marilyn Borea
pp 78-87. Mayor Donald Fraser
Mayor George Latimer
Tuan, Yi-Fu. Topophilia: A Study of Nancy Olkon
Environmental Perception, Attitudes, and
Values. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1974.
32

Marc Treib - Mapping Experience

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Mapping Experience

Author(s): Marc Treib

Marc Treib ________________

San Francisco ............................. 30

1. Martin Heidegger, Poetry, Language, Thought, 1971.

All communication depends upon accepted conventions. If there is

Though maps share certain properties of language, they should not be

2. Arthur H. Robinson and Barbara B. Petchenik,

named Main Street or Broadway, might be given more ample

What one derives from reading an ordinary street map is a sense of

The answer is obviously "no," as any recollection of our actual

This is not to say that the spatial or experiential aspects of perception

- iE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . ... ...

Ansicht von New Unm, Minnesota,

collection Minnesota Historical Society.

New York Picture and Street Map.

30 From Michelin Tire Corporation's

N 4/^ s s Green Guide to New York City,

3. For an analysis of descriptive drawing techniques

London Tube Diagram of Lines. Paul E.

Triptik Linear Road Map. American Linear Route Map. London

9 WRFOOP CARPENSIO NEACOOIEC 001600 00N010Kg K& WA&ISNCKS S ~ Y A SE H

New York Subway Guide. Massimo Vignelli

New York City Subway Map. New York

waterways as orientation features. In

the cause of many riders' frustrations. In response to user complaints,

The Vignelli map is one of the many offspring of the London

Collectively, the graphic design decisions make reading difficult, and

The transit authority's own replacement map is not necessarily more

In almost all instances of communication, some bits of information

A certain amount of exposure and education is required to understand

The reading of a subway diagram provides little information or insight

=30111 TMO 6 TM 041S.

If the subway route map sits at one pole on the objectivity/subjectivity

As in any other cartographic technique, the technique itself, the

In this segment of Fifth Avenue highlighting

Landeskarte der Schweiz. Precisely rendered . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . . . .

-~ ~ Rwre Ma fJpn hscee

Dance Map: "Hagoromo." Kanze-ryu shimai

= :-,: :. . . . . . . .:-= H' _ . . . . . . . '

Aerial Target Maps. Ballale Island. KEY

i . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ship AZtlhe . &

_ _ . " ' . 5 _ _ 15!

. ALLALE.. I TAGE uta.i.e X m fw itl ino.i-r

Advertisement for a Men's Shop. Okayama, |_|9?

wear, is complete without a map showing

there are several branches of the store.

ata~ *.s s ioooqw. o.sOOO. P3uL<1X-7#^tt461iSzv, ~~'Ml*Afl5SlOt t qrPe2-owa@o ttb *.4LOM1O*.3

_ * |]= i' e?arn-.-etts

22,000 250000 11800 15soon

AM H. u . 7. (.J M ,t 5*53 95.-.*5

v ^'-stm , F t'.\YTgL. 08M2M701 YE:L. 062:.32-557 TELASM3673 TL0%.{dt_|---1g1--

Painted advertisement at a railroad station, i AA

.S. | Ill5tE@lRa E5a .TRlta it -Ef-fi -1MA 6 X AAYZ*s 4 :

... ........ .... . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ w 44

Three examples from Flashmaps! The~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.... ....

19 78-79 Instant Guide to New York. ~~~ ~ ..... ...

The map of Manhattan neighborhoods~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. . ... .......... .......

neihbrhoodapls trom indiatesheas muTilevel

the same, relationships and uses do change.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, ttioi

ata~ .s s ioooqw. o.sOOO. P3uL<1X-7#^tt461iSzv, ~~'MlAfl5SlOt t qrPe2-owa@o ttb .4LOM1O.3

AM H. u . 7. (.J M ,t 553 95.-.5