The London Underground Map is often cited as one of the easiest maps for people to navigate their way around. Even those who do not understand English can usually find their way to their destination by using the distinct colour coding of the map and many Londoners, myself included, use the simple layout of this cartographical masterpiece as a mental image of the shape of London.
In reality, the actual layout of the stations is heavily topologically distorted to make the planning of one’s route as easy as possible. When deciding upon an itinerary, it is easier to make reference to a clear and linear map even though its distances and angles may be distorted. When underground, the only thing to which one can refer in order to determine how far one has travelled is the number of stations passed. By having the map laid out with the stations for the most part equally spaced, the distance on the map corresponds precisely to one’s perception of distance travelled when underground.
Connections are also important to the traveller attempting to chart their way from one station to another. Most people will choose the route requiring the fewest stops unless they have other information about delays on a particular line. Therefore, it is important that any map of the underground emphasises the connections between stations as an integral part of its efficacy.
Since the Underground Map covers a very large area, it is important that the information it contains is easily accessible. Most of its traffic passes through the very popular Zone One stations of Central London and so it is important that these are highlighted in the map. This is done not only by placing them at the centre of the map but also by shrinking the distances between outlying stations to minimise the effect that they have on the map as a whole.