City Pulse：Global Metro Line Development History by Peking University

Metro systems are the pulsing veins of cities, traverses the city’s texture and preserving the memory of urban life. Visualizing this invisible urban landscape becomes emblematic of each city’s unique identity and development. In this work, we introduce an abstract way that encodes metro routes as lines, cities as squares, and the global map as an abstract representation. Along with the implementation of an interactive system, the project enables a comprehensive visual exploration of the global metro lines. Through this very abstract and minimalist form, each city’s structure, symbolic identity, and regional development are revealed. Moreover, the colorful global map efficiently portrays the diversity and evolution of metro lines worldwide.
This project proposes an abstract encoding method for metro lines that can highlight the characteristics of each line, thereby constructing the spatial, temporal, and cultural features of each city. It designed and implemented a system that showcases global metro development through interactive features such as timelines, filters, and detail pages.
This project applies abstract art to information visualization, clearly and efficiently revealing the characteristics and uniqueness of each city. It makes complex information more visually appealing and easier to understand, enhancing visual effects and the viewers' aesthetic experience. A diverse global urban metro landscape is constructed, showcasing 213 cities worldwide.