Last month I was commissioned to create a map for Geographical Magazine to illustrate a story of urban greening in Brazil featured in their December issue. The editor Paul Presley requested for an area map of Minhocão – the highway planned to be converted into a park, but otherwise I didn’t have lot of information to begin with. So I took some time to read about the project, although the timeline was tight and came up with a flat map featuring an ‘elevated’ highway that has gone through a green transformation.
I highlighted the green areas in the neighbourhood and ‘closed off’ the 3 km stretch of highway to cars by adding pedestrian and cycling lane with icons. I also added extra foliage, seating and shades as well as new access points such as elevators. Although the area map is based on real map, the illustration is theoretical and does not reflect the real conditions and plans, but I very much hope it helps to reimagine the motorway as green space that is open for sustainable walking and cycling.
Lottie Watters’ article is a fascinating and critical view of what becomes of the area after it has been greened. She draws comparisons with High Line at New York and Rambla de Sants in Barcelona as well as notes the doubt and mixed feelings in community – it’s a story definitely worth to read for anyone interested in the effects of urban greening. Through working on an infographic map to illustrate her writing I personally have learned a lot of the area I beforehand was not familiar with.
Perhaps one day I have an opportunity to visit and see if the project turned out as I imagined it. 🤞
Greening the ‘Big Worm’ is an article by Lottie Watters in this month’s Geographical Magazine, December 2019
