London · Westminster, the Thames and Waterloo

What is shown – why – for whom

City, networks and transport in the model

• Section

  Westminster · Big Ben · Trafalgar Square – 2,200 × 1,500 m, 3.3 km², OpenStreetMap as of 30 October 2026.

• Landmarks

  Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, Nelson’s Column and Waterloo station.

• Buildings

  5,183 building blocks, buildings up to 155 m, 31 % of the area built up, 11 % green; 252 named buildings and 689 places.

• Streets

  5,160 path segments and 4,812 nodes with traffic lights, zebra crossings and crossings; pavements along every street.

• Venues

  1,237 shops, restaurants, bars and clubs, cultural venues, leisure and independent scene from OpenStreetMap – each one doing well, tight, struggling or closed.

• Water

  Thames: 16 % of the section, with waves, foam along the banks and bridges.

• Water

  19 hydrants and 42 further points from OpenStreetMap; pipes assumed under the streets.

• Power

  208 street lights, 14 substations and 17 further points from OpenStreetMap; cables drawn schematically.

• Data

  7 street cabinets, 2 exchanges, 4 antennas and 3 connection points from OpenStreetMap; the network in between is assumed.

• Underground / Suburban rail

  Tunnels of the Underground in true depth below the city.

• Flows

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

• Underground

  4 lines through the section, 10 stations, mostly in tunnels; trains run to a timetable (model), people board and alight at every stop.

• mainline trains

  4 lines through the section, 4 stations, 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; 124 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

• Bridges over the Thames

  A sixth of the section is water, and bridges cross it. You see how people between Westminster, Trafalgar Square and Waterloo are spread across the Underground, suburban trains, bus and footpaths, and where flows back up at the crossings.

  For whomtransport planning, public transport, city marketing

• 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

  London on the Thames as a stage

  Streets, houses, tracks and the Thames come from OpenStreetMap. You show Westminster, Trafalgar Square and the south bank as they lie, 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.

• 

  Paris · Louvre, Tuileries and the Seine

  Paris on the Seine between Concorde and Châtelet 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.

• 

  New York · Midtown Manhattan

  Midtown Manhattan between Times Square, Bryant Park and Grand Central 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.

• 

  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.