Speculative subways for landscapes with no need for them

I'm a big fan of these speculative subway maps in which underground transportation systems have been projected for landscapes in which their actual construction would be absurd.

[Image: A speculative future subway map by Transit Authority Figures].

Indeed, in many cases, constructing a subway in these sites—Acadia National Park, for instance, seen above, or Martha's Vineyard—would not only be technically ridiculous, or simply surreal, it would be a disaster.

[Images: Maps by Transit Authority Figures].

Designed by Transit Authority Figures, there are currently nine posters to view (and purchase).

[Image: By Transit Authority Figures].

Hopefully more maps are forthcoming—and it would be great to see more sites outside of New England. A subway for Rocky Mountain National Park, say, or the Galapagos. How about the Greek island of Patmos, where St. John so famously experienced his revelation? Or mechanized travel beneath the Antarctic base at McMurdo. Marrakech. The Florida Keys.

Keep your eye on the Transit Authority Figures' poster page to see what might come next.

(Via @stevesilberman).

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Anonymous Christopher said...

I would love to see the Florida Keys' subway, too. The people and architecture of the Florida Keys are fascinating because the land is almost not there. How and why are people living there, especially given the Keys' short life expectancy? :)

April 09, 2010 12:53 PM  
Blogger Baron Otto Von Subertan said...

I'd like to have seen this get even more speculative. Middle Earth high-speed rail?

April 09, 2010 4:52 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This is a 'fantasy' map of the Washington DC subway, which includes some real lines and some proposed lines.

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/image.cgi?src=200802/wmatafantasylarge.png&ref=627

April 09, 2010 6:35 PM  
Anonymous cyberbully said...

If the artist made a Middle Earth high-speed rail map, they would probably sell 10x more compared to their other designs. There are more Tolkien nerds than transportation nerds. :)

April 10, 2010 3:09 PM  
Anonymous ariare said...

This project has reminded me distantly to the following:
http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Minimal-Geography/411699

April 11, 2010 9:42 AM  
Anonymous Karli said...

A friend of mine, a fellow landscape architecture student, made an abstract subway map for the Cornell campus:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23332612@N03/3192926970/sizes/l/

April 13, 2010 2:54 PM  
Blogger AbbotOfUnreason said...

Ooh, ooh. I made one for Nevada City, California. It's here.

April 14, 2010 9:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

geez I didn't know so many other people like subway maps this much too.
We need subways everywhere, running down the mid-Atlantic trench and through jungles, from island to island, and when underwater we need the tubes to be clear, because dammit, that would be awesome.

I bet even the bums on the Middle Earth line would be epic.

April 21, 2010 3:40 AM  
Blogger liberalandproud said...

Please, someone one for Georgia's Golden Isles (Jekyll, St. Simons, Sea & Little St. Simons)! So absurd.
Better yet: Sapelo Island, which is currently only reachable by boat.

April 21, 2010 11:36 AM  

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