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France · 48.5734°, 7.7521°

Strasbourg Map Poster: The Grande Île Ringed by Water

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Map poster of Strasbourg (France): streets, water and parks drawn from OpenStreetMap

Why this city works as a poster

Strasbourg's historic centre is an island: the Grande Île, held between the Ill to the south and the Fossé du Faux-Rempart to the north. On the map it is a dense oval of medieval streets ringed by water, with the cathedral near its centre. To the north-east, the Neustadt, built between 1871 and 1918, stands out with wide, straight avenues: two cities from two eras, readable side by side.

Recommended framing

About 3 km across to make the Grande Île the subject, with Petite France to the west and the start of the Neustadt. To show the port and the Rhine as well, widen to 8 or 10 km in landscape: the river, to the east, gives the composition a firm edge.

Which theme to pick

A theme in which water stands out clearly from the background, or the ring of the Ill, which makes the centre so singular, disappears. Fine linework stops the medieval oval turning into a solid block.

Where to centre the map

Grande Île
The water-ringed oval with the cathedral: the heart of the poster.
Petite France
At the island's western tip the Ill splits into several channels: a 1 km frame turns it into a very fine water pattern.
Port du Rhin
To the east, the port's large rectangular basins form geometric flat areas of water.

How its streets are oriented

Street orientation in Strasbourg: orientation order 0.01, organic pattern0° (N) – 180° (S): 6.8% of street length10° (N) – 190° (S): 5.2% of street length20° (NNE) – 200° (SSW): 6.0% of street length30° (NNE) – 210° (SSW): 5.6% of street length40° (NE) – 220° (SW): 6.1% of street length50° (NE) – 230° (SW): 5.3% of street length60° (ENE) – 240° (WSW): 4.7% of street length70° (ENE) – 250° (WSW): 4.6% of street length80° (E) – 260° (W): 7.3% of street length90° (E) – 270° (W): 4.8% of street length100° (E) – 280° (W): 6.4% of street length110° (ESE) – 290° (WNW): 7.1% of street length120° (ESE) – 300° (WNW): 5.0% of street length130° (SE) – 310° (NW): 5.3% of street length140° (SE) – 320° (NW): 4.5% of street length150° (SSE) – 330° (NNW): 4.5% of street length160° (SSE) – 340° (NNW): 4.3% of street length170° (S) – 350° (N): 6.6% of street length180° (S) – 0° (N): 6.8% of street length190° (S) – 10° (N): 5.2% of street length200° (SSW) – 20° (NNE): 6.0% of street length210° (SSW) – 30° (NNE): 5.6% of street length220° (SW) – 40° (NE): 6.1% of street length230° (SW) – 50° (NE): 5.3% of street length240° (WSW) – 60° (ENE): 4.7% of street length250° (WSW) – 70° (ENE): 4.6% of street length260° (W) – 80° (E): 7.3% of street length270° (W) – 90° (E): 4.8% of street length280° (W) – 100° (E): 6.4% of street length290° (WNW) – 110° (ESE): 7.1% of street length300° (WNW) – 120° (ESE): 5.0% of street length310° (NW) – 130° (SE): 5.3% of street length320° (NW) – 140° (SE): 4.5% of street length330° (NNW) – 150° (SSE): 4.5% of street length340° (NNW) – 160° (SSE): 4.3% of street length350° (N) – 170° (S): 6.6% of street lengthNESW

Within 3 km of the centre, we measured the orientation of 383 km of streets. Its orientation order is 0.01 out of 1: Strasbourg ranks 63rd of the 64 cities in the study and 24th of the 25 French cities.

The streets run in almost every direction: no axis dominates, the pattern is organic.

See the full study: street orientation in 64 cities

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