January 24th, 2008
You Are Here sticker activism in the PATH
By Matthew Blackett // 15 Comments
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzaLWoVtkZ8[/youtube]
A few well-intentioned Torontonians have created their own kind of civic-minded activism for the PATH: You Are Here stickers! It seems the PATH maps do a very poor job of indicating where a person in within the maze of food courts and shopping areas. Nothing a colour printer, some sticker paper and little urban exploration can't fix.
Follow them around the PATH as they attempt to try and make it easier for any of us to navigate our underground city. The video runs about 10 minutes and provides a little background into the PATH's history as well as the activists' intentions.
Thanks to Keanu Christensen for the link
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Neither the author nor Spacing necessarily agree with the comments posted below. Spacing reserves the right to edit or delete comments entirely. See our Comment Policy.
I think a tour of the PATH when I was in 7th grade is what led me into a career in architecture, engineering and urban development. It's a fascinating construct, and it certainly could use more informative signage. I don't particularly care for the sticker these guys designed (a small red star would have sufficed) but maybe PATH will get the message and upgrade their signs.
Has anyone ever made a PATH-Google Maps overlay? Now THAT would be a useful reference when lost underground.
The thing that drives me nuts about the PATH maps is that up on the map isn't usually north -- it's the direction you're facing. It's a design that works OK in malls, but it's hard to recognize the layout of downtown when it's rotated 90 or 180 degrees. The maps do have an arrow for north, but it's pretty easy to miss.
I just had a conversation with someone who tried to get from St. Andrew's station to BCE place by the path. It was unfamiliar terrain and took him 30 minutes! Would have been much shorter above ground.
I always get lost in Path - try to avoid it unless it's rainy or really, really cold.
"You are here" stickers. What a great idea!
You are here stickers could have explained and shown in less than one minute.
thank you I how can they make such detailed maps without the 'you are here' they need to put coloured markings on the ground next like at the zoo that would help.
"You are here stickers could have explained and shown in less than one minute."
But where's the fun in that?
What an amazing way of showing people where to go, even in a system as confusing to new-commers as the PATH.
“You are here stickers could have explained and shown in less than one minute.â€Â
but then we wouldnt get to listen to truly amazing music and watch buddy say "ah uh" and look up at the ceiling for 10 minutes.
Love this! Seeing young people doing with an urge for civic duty makes my day (and I'm convinced that the star of this video was cloned by splicing and combining Matt Blackett's and Doogie Howser's DNA) 
yo, i'm so stoked that so many people are seeing this! yeah, when we were preparing for this i tried to make a PATH overlay with Google Maps, but tha thing is that those PATH maps aren't to scale, so it was nigh impossible. thanks for watching everyone! and thanks for linking, Spacing!
Lonely Planet's Toronto guidebook has maps of downtown with PATH overlaid. I don't know how accurate they are, but they exist.
Strangely enough, i just used the PATH for the first time in 10 years and found following the maps fairly easy, only to find out that the ease of use was only because of the actions of Matthew Blackett and his friends. Well done, guys!
FYI, I had nothing to do with this. Just posted it.
I didnt actually know how to even find the PATH before Denis brought it to my attention, and i know without the You Are Here Stickers i would have gotten lost for sure!!!
A cool mini-doc, if you don't mind taking a little dramamine. Seriously, though, great work!
Comment by James Bow
January 24, 2008 | 3:14 pm