The “Scenic Route” in Google Maps
Taking the most beautiful path from A to B, not merely the quickest one.
When I travel to a new place, I use Google Maps a lot. And while the app (usually) gives me accurate directions, it often directs me along a noisy highway, through a trash-filled backstreet, or a few blocks to the east/west of a beautiful park or historic building that I, being new to the city, didn’t know existed.
More than once, I’ve thought to myself, “I would have rather walked an extra five minutes in order to avoid this mess and go through that park instead.” In other words, to take a more scenic route rather than the most utilitarian one.
What if this was possible in Google Maps, Apple Maps, or a similar app?
I imagine it could work like this: the app analyzes points along the proposed route, rates them in terms of aesthetic quality, and then offers an alternative that may be slightly longer than the absolute shortest one, but significantly more scenic. Instead of 15 minutes along a noisy highway, your walk is 18 minutes through a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. Unless I’m in hurry, this is a trade-off I’d gladly make.
What would our “scenic mode” take into account when suggesting a route? Here are a few ideas:
Visual, air, and sound pollution from cars – Cars seem to be the single biggest nuisance when it comes to making a route less scenic. Whether from beeping, spewing exhaust smoke, nearly hitting pedestrians, or just making the walkable space smaller, a route with less cars is usually a more scenic one.
Less foot traffic – Even with no cars, streets can still be uncomfortable to walk down. Try Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue or NYC’s Times Square during peak hours, when crowds are nearly shoulder-to-shoulder. The lack of cars alone isn’t enough to make the experience enjoyable.
Tree cover – Who doesn’t like trees? With a few exceptions, a street with trees is almost always nicer than one without. Especially in the summer, when a shaded sidewalk can be multiple degrees cooler than an unshaded one.
Parks and greenspace – Walking through a park is often a nicer experience than walking along the street – although it depends on the city and the time of day.
Proximity to artistically-relevant places – Most cities have certain monuments, architecture, urban design elements, or other particularly beautiful areas. These may be specific buildings or just locations that have historical significance, like the Hotel Chelsea in NYC or the plaque commemorating Lord Byron’s birthplace in London.
Subjective ratings from users – Finally, we could use a simple rating system that asks users to rate certain streets on a scale from 1 to 5, or if the street they’re on is better or worse than a nearby one.
What would your scenic route include?