All aboard the Windrush line

 

A lot of coverage of this story this week, not all of it positive. 

Londoners have become very familiar with the names of the underground lines, including the new Elizabeth Line (originally Cross Rail) and the Jubilee line (with their Royal choice of names). Now Sadiq Khan has outlined new names for the overground lines to aid discussions about particular routes - Londoners and visitors will quickly adapt to their new names, but there have been some predictable moans about the nature of the names... from the usual suspects.

In Year 7, we study the story of the Windrush generation, through the use of the book 'Windrush Child' from the late Benjamin Zephaniah.

This BBC News page explains what the names of each of the lines means.

Image source: Transport for London

The Windrush Line will run through several areas associated with the Windrush migrants (in London at least).

Learning from Ghent

Birmingham has announced that it is exploring options to reduce its transport issues, which will include removing most traffic from the city centre.
The plan is apparently modelled on the Belgian city of Ghent, also spelled Gent.

I've visited Ghent several times over the years, and always been impressed by the efficient tram network, large number of cyclists, and general air of calm. The main buildings in the city centre are visible because they are not surrounded by cars.


Image: Alan Parkinson

The image above shows the absence of traffic other than bicycles and trams / buses for the most part in the city centre.

EV car charging points

A map made by Steve Attewell using MapBox.

For fun, I made a #map of Electric Vehicle charging points using @OrdnanceSurvey Open Zoomstack basemap and National Charge Point Registry data from Department for Transport @transportgovuk using @Mapbox. Live map: https://t.co/rmnIDWk8Ae pic.twitter.com/nIOnUfhDtN

— Steve Attewell (@steveattewell) February 7, 2020

Here's the East of England's charging points - quite a few gaps in the network...


I'm attending a Guardian Mapping course over half term, and am hoping to get the skills to produce something like this.

It has an excellent description:

Everything happens somewhere. That’s geography. It’s hard to think of any problem or opportunity that exists, that doesn’t contain an inherent value or have a geospatial value. Geography is social, a form of visual communication, and maps are incredible sources of storytelling.

If you want to unlock the endless possibilities of geography and the mystery of map-making, all you need is your curiosity and creativity (and a laptop, if you like) - and to come to this class. With Paul Naylor and Charley Glynn, visual data design consultants for Ordnance Survey, you will be taken through the theories behind the art of cartography, as well as how maps can be the foundation of any narrative - helping you to convey your message quickly, clearly and with great impact.

Istanbul

“If the world was only one country, Istanbul would be its capital!”

Napoleon

Istanbul is a city I've been researching for an EDC city case study for a textbook that is coming out next year.
Istanbul is the largest city in Europe.

The Economist has published a useful resource on the
https://www.economist.com/special-report/2016/02/04/the-lure-of-the-city

This has involved a lot of research and chasing down contacts and other links with the city.
I think, and hope I've done it justice.
I also found some resources developed by a colleague.

This report can be downloaded, and is well worth reading to add particular detail.

ISMEP has produced a useful document too.
PDF download
https://www.ipkb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ISMEP1_ISMEP_EN_240214.pdf


I like the final lines of the report.

"It is important to bear in mind that earthquake resistant schools will educate creative and powerful brains. The children who are going to build our future cannot be sacrificed to earthquakes."

The city's Historic Centre has been pedestrianised to help with the flow of tourists.



The MetroBus is a newish addition to the city's landscape: a subsidised transport system, which connects the Asian and European parts of the city.
There are lots of attractions to this service.

The Pedestrianization of Istanbul's Historic Peninsula - EMBARQ Turkey - 31 October 2013 from EMBARQ

More to come in a few month's time.

Image credit
Hagia Sophia by Lluisa Iborra from the Noun Project