# Stadtbilder

_Mapping the digital shape of cities_

Published: 2013-03-01

Live project: [https://web.archive.org/web/20260130031547/http://www.stadt-bilder.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20260130031547/http://www.stadt-bilder.com/)

Stadtbilder is an attempt to map the digital shape of cities. While traditional maps show us buildings, roads and physical infrastructure, these maps reveal where and in which form the city is alive. The maps show an overlay of all the digitally marked “hotspots” in a city, such as restaurant, hotels, clubs, etc. collected from different service like yelp, or foursquare. What they don’t show are the streets, the railroads, the buildings. The only exception are the rivers and lakes, for their help in framing the information for the viewer and the influence they have on shaping the cities.

## Key visuals

- Berlin Stadtbild poster mapping digital hotspots, counts 128 Music, 590 Shopping, 654 Nightlife, 3024 Food
- Three Stadtbilder posters side by side comparing digital hotspots of Berlin, Hamburg and München
- Detail of a Stadtbild map, colored hotspot streaks above white dotted river and harbor outlines

## Poster prints

Poster prints are available through [redbubble](http://www.redbubble.com/people/moritzstefaner/collections/209273-stadtbilder)

![Stadtbilder website with a map overlay pinpointing Berlin's Museumsinsel over the abstract hotspot poster]()

While the designs are meant to be printed, as a digital companion, the [website](https://web.archive.org/web/20260130031547/http://www.stadt-bilder.com/) helps you decipher the posters by providing a little map overlay on click.

## Process

Find a few thoughts on process and rationale at [well-formed-data.net](http://well-formed-data.net/archives/920/stadtbilder-mapping-the-digital-shape-of-cities).

## Credits

Data is sourced from [Uberblic](https://web.archive.org/web/20260422181334/http://www.uberblic.com/).

---
[View on truth-and-beauty.net](https://truth-and-beauty.net/projects/stadtbilder)