Cologne · cathedral, main station and the Rhine

What is shown – why – for whom

City, networks and transport in the model

• Section

  cathedral · main station · Rhine – 1,700 × 1,640 m, 2.8 km², OpenStreetMap as of 30 October 2026.

• Landmarks

  Cologne Cathedral, Great St Martin church, historic town hall and St Maria im Kapitol.

• Buildings

  6,197 building blocks, buildings up to 158 m, 32 % of the area built up, 4.1 % green; 120 named buildings and 681 places.

• Streets

  3,898 path segments and 3,224 nodes with traffic lights, zebra crossings and crossings; pavements along every street.

• Venues

  1,227 shops, restaurants, bars and clubs, cultural venues, leisure and independent scene from OpenStreetMap – each one doing well, tight, struggling or closed.

• Water

  Rhine: 22 % of the section, with waves, foam along the banks and bridges.

• Water

  47 hydrants and 30 further points from OpenStreetMap; pipes assumed under the streets.

• Power

  430 street lights, 23 substations and 4 transformer stations from OpenStreetMap; cables drawn schematically.

• Data

  2 street cabinets, 4 exchanges and 9 antennas from OpenStreetMap; the network in between is assumed.

• Underground / Suburban rail

  Tunnels of the light rail and trams in true depth below the city.

• Flows

  Flows of people as arrowed bands of light, visible in every view.

• light rail and trams

  3 lines through the section, 5 stations, partly in tunnels; trains run to a timetable (model), people board and alight at every stop.

• suburban and regional trains

  3 lines through the section, 1 station, above ground; trains run to a timetable (model), people board and alight at every stop.

• Bus

  In the model: ring line from the station with a limited number of seats; 33 bus stops from OpenStreetMap; a full bus glows pink.

• Cars, walking, cycling

  Cars keep their distance and obey traffic lights, priority and crossing pedestrians; queues take up space. Nobody disappears.

What the model can be used for

• Urban and transport planning

  The switch to bus and rail, denser service or a car-free centre can be adjusted. The analysis colours streets and paths and shows where a decision takes effect elsewhere.

  For whomurban planning, transport planning, mobility

• From the main station to the cathedral and the Rhine

  How do people spread from the main station to the cathedral, the old town and the riverbank? With service intervals, traffic lights and a car-free radius you can try out where the routes get dense and when a festival fills the squares.

  For whomtransport planning, city marketing, event organisers

• Networks and utilities

  Beneath the city lie tunnels, water, power and data. The points come from OpenStreetMap, the routes are assumed. You see how many networks a city carries.

  For whomutilities, infrastructure, teaching

• School, university, exhibition

  How do living, working, transport and city life connect? The city runs around the clock, from day to night, and the demonstration also runs without anyone at the controls.

  For whomschools, universities, museums and exhibitions

What you can change

What the model brings

• 01

  Cathedral and Rhine as a stage

  Streets, houses, tracks and the Rhine come from OpenStreetMap. You show Cologne with its cathedral, old town and riverbank as it lies, not as a diagram.

• 02

  See the effect at once

  Every control acts immediately: pavements, streets and trains fill up or empty, and the analysis shows where.

• 03

  Situations without damage

  Rail outage, congestion, a street festival or empty shops can be triggered. You see where it gets tight first, and set it back.

• 04

  For big screens and the browser

  Runs in the browser and on large projections, from day to night, with a demonstration that starts without anyone at the controls.

• 

  Düsseldorf · city centre with Königsallee and old town

  Düsseldorf's city centre between Königsallee, Schadowstraße and the old town on the Rhine as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Bochum · city centre with town hall and Mining Museum

  Bochum's city centre as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Dortmund · city centre with Westenhellweg

  Dortmund's city centre inside the Wallring as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Essen · city centre with main station and town hall

  Essen's city centre between the main station and the town hall as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Duisburg · city centre with Königstraße and inner harbour

  Duisburg's city centre from the main station to the inner harbour as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Oberhausen · city centre with Altmarkt and town hall

  Oberhausen's city centre between the main station, the Altmarkt and the town hall as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Berlin · Central Station, Chancellery and the Spree

  Berlin around the Central Station as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.