Robert Moor’s “On Trails: An Exploration”

A non-fiction work on the very nature of trails, inspired by the author's hike of the Appalachian Trail

Everyone is familiar with the way one’s mind strays while on a long walk. Seven years ago, author Robert Moor embarked upon a very long walk—in fact, it was a five-month-long thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. During that time, he took copious amounts of notes about the experience and began to consider writing a book. “On Trails: An Exploration,” out today, is far more than …

Mapping The London Underground On The Street

Rather than wait in line to enter a crowded tube station, what if one could walk on a colored path that corresponds directly to the train underground and arrive at the next stop? That’s what UK design student Jamie Quantrill proposed at the recent Design & Art Direction Awards, sponsored by Ford. The project, named Streetlines, won the New Blood Award and would offer a …

Google Mapping Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas

Understanding the obstacles in mapping these unique cities-within-a-city

From a foreigner’s (or even many Brazilians’) perspective, it’s easy to label the “favelas” of Rio de Janeiro as slums run by drug cartels, racked with crime, violence and poverty—and terrorized by police. Despite many outer communities still lacking access to stable water and sanitation networks, there’s been a recent shift in breaking down historic barriers for favela residents to fully participate in—and be embraced—by …