24 Subway Innovations

For metropolian commuters, tourists and travelers, the subway is both a blessing and a curse. Riding the subway thwarts the street congestion caused by pedestrians, cyclists and cars, but the cramped quarters of a subway car during peak travel times pose their own uncomfortable challenges.

Taking the subway is an eco-friendly and efficient mode of mass transportation, but it isn’t always the first choice for travelers. Observing the interactions between the unique blend of people that appear on a subway is a social experiment in itself.

The 25 articles in this cluster explore different relationships with the subway. Some explore the physical feeling of high-speed travel, like the slanted Carmelit subway. Others play on the aesthetics of the subway car itself by redecorating it to look like a living room, using a car as the stage for a fashion shoot, or organizing 900 individuals to drop trou on a subway ride in New York City. Still others utilize a subway’s captive audience as a prime opportunity for advertising.