Desire Paths
Inspired by Massimo Vignelli’s transportation maps, Desire Paths is a site-specific work that visually represents the physical connection between city streets and the people who move through them. Seen from afar, the pulse of the urban experience is evident in overlaying lines
of color, mimicking the layering of different modes of transport: bus, car, train, subway, bike, etc in an abstracted, localized version of the surrounding transit networks and city grid.
In this specific site, Desire Paths enhances the pedestrian experience by bringing the energy and vitality of New York City plazas where it has previously failed to reach – at the heart of the Holland Tunnel where Canal, Hudson and Watt Streets meet. By energizing this car-dominated intersection Desire Paths aims to enhance the pedestrian experience by beautifying and making the pedestrian island more welcoming and safe for pedestrians, anchored by a new state of the art Oonee bike parking Pod.
“In urban planning, desire paths have been used to analyze traffic patterns for a given mode of travel. For example, the 1959 Chicago Area Transportation Study used desire paths to illustrate commuter choices regarding railroad and subway trips.”
State of Illinois. (1959) "Chicago Area Transportation Study" p. 40. State of Illinois, Springfield, IL. Retrieved 14 March 2012 from Paul V. Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology.
Hudson
Square
Canal St & Hudson St
20 Spaces