From the creators of WebUrbanist and 99% Invisible comes a new beautifully designed and illustrated guide to cities. In their New York Times best-selling book, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, Kurt Kohlstedt and Roman Mars zoom in to tell fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and drinking fountains to fire escapes and street signs. In the US, you can click here to order a copy — or check out this page for international options!

What reviewers are saying about The 99% Invisible City

“Here is a field guide, a boon, a bible, for the urban curious. Your city’s secret anatomy laid bare—a hundred things you look at but don’t see, see but don’t know. Each entry is a compact, surprising story, a thought piece, an invitation to marvel. Together, they are almost transformative. To know why things are as they are adds a satisfying richness to daily existence. This book is terrific, just terrific.” —Mary Roach, New York Times bestselling author of Gulp, Stiff, and Grunt

“We usually define cities in terms of their bigness, so it’s easy to forget that our daily experience of any city is made up of countless tiny, intimate encounters. Just as Jane Jacobs did fifty years ago, Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt provide a new way of seeing urban life, finding secrets and surprises behind every sewer grate, storefront, and street sign.” —Michael Bierut, design critic and author of How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things, Explain Things, Make Things Look Better, Make People Laugh, Make People Cry, and (Every Once in a While) Change the World

“The 99% Invisible City brings into view the fascinating but often unnoticed worlds we walk and drive through every day, and to read it is to feel newly alive and aware of your place in the world. This book made me laugh, and it made me cry, and it reminded me to always read the plaque.” —John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

“The 99% Invisible City is not a book, but a pair of magic glasses that transform the mundane city around you into a vibrant museum of human ingenuity.” —Justin McElroy, three-time New York Times best-selling author

“The ideal companion for city buffs, who’ll come away seeing the streets in an entirely different light.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Conversational, bite-size entries [and] beautiful tricolor illustrations ….  A field guide for anywhere.” —Booklist

“A brief review cannot do justice to such a diverse and enlightening book …. The 99% Invisible City is altogether fresh and imaginative when it comes to thinking about urban spaces.” —Kenneth T. Jackson, book reviewer for The New York Times 

Much like WebUrbanist, 99% Invisible is a big-ideas production about small-seeming things, revealing stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive on, and sidewalks we traverse. 99pi celebrates design and architecture in all of its functional glory and accidental absurdity, with tales of exceptional designers but also everyday designs. This book will captivate devoted fans of WU and 99pi plus anyone curious about design processes, urban environments, and other unsung marvels of the world. If you’ve enjoyed WebUrbanist, you’ll love The 99% Invisible City!

If your city isn’t meeting your needs, just hack it. Urban hacktivism is a form of creative, citizen-led problem solving that often goes behind the backs of officials and institutions to get things done. Instead of leaving the task of shaping a given city to governments and developers, who tend to ignore the input of people they’re supposed to be serving, urban hacktivists take matters into their own hands by combining crowdsourced knowledge and skills with cheap, readily available materials. That might mean transforming a long-vacant lot into a neighborhood park, adding public seating to an area where it’s lacking, enhancing the safety of intersections for pedestrians or just making urban environments feel more responsive and fun.

At the heart of this kind of guerrilla urbanism is the ability to see the potential of public spaces to better meet people’s needs, make small changes and possibly convince local governments to make those changes permanent in the process. After all, the people who use those spaces every day know best. If you’re interested in carrying out some DIY urbanism in your own city, the internet is full of examples, guides and tutorials to get you started. These hacks may or may not be legal where you live – whether you choose to find a way around that is up to you, and most of these tools come with an obligatory disclaimer that they’re not suggesting, teaching or condoning any kind of illegal action.

Create DIY Crosswalks

Sometimes, cities just don’t seem to know where crosswalks belong. Maybe they’re not paying attention. Maybe there’s some kind of red tape involved. But a lack of proper crossings can be dangerous for pedestrians who simply aren’t going to take a stupidly long way around. If there’s a common crossing near you that isn’t marked, you can mark it yourself, whether by grabbing some paint and forming your own urban repair squad or setting up a temporary illuminated crosswalk, as laid out at Instructables. For guidance on paint selection and other aspects of this task, check out the Tactical Urbanist’s Guide To Getting it Done, a free resource you can download packed with tips for all sorts of projects.

Customize Street Signs

PHOTOS: These hacked electronic street signs make being stuck in traffic worth it http://t.co/XZkdOV8RdJ pic.twitter.com/pu9sFIx9eJ

— RYOT (@ThisIsRYOT) March 13, 2014

Some cities don’t have enough navigation signs to guide people to significant destinations. Some just aren’t adequately marked, like a misleading exit sign over the 110 freeway in Los Angeles, which one intrepid urban hacker fixed himself with a very convincing facsimile of official Caltrans signage (it stayed up for over eight years.) Street artists frequently “hack” signs just to make them more interesting and fun. And, just to say, electronic road signs are pretty easy to hack into just for the sake of making someone smile on their crappy commute, though of course you should never tamper with these signs, as instructions to do exactly that will warn you.

You can also produce your own street signs that look official at a glance, but actually spread positive messages in unexpected places. Seattle-based guerrilla artist April Soetarman sells her own rugged heavy-duty laminated aluminum signs that say things like “NOTICE: I never stopped loving you. I hope you’re well.” It’s easy to order your own custom street signs through any number of websites, all just a Google away, or you can do it through the Walk Your City Project, which links informational street signs “with web-based campaign management and data collection to complement traditional approaches to way finding.”

Hack Bus Shelter Advertisements

Brandalism, “a revolt against the corporate control of culture and space” by an international collective of artists, wants to help you intervene into ad spaces that usually celebrate consumption in favor of art, political messaging or whatever you’d rather look at instead. Carefully noting that the tools they offer “are handmade art objects and not intended for use,” the group maintains a site called PublicAdCampaign.com illustrating the types of tools required to get into bus shelter ads in various cities across the world. You can purchase these tools – er, art objects – directly from the website.

Build Your Own Bike Lanes

A lack of proper bike lanes is dangerous for everyone on the road, whether you’re a cyclist or a motorist. DIY bike lanes are almost always illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from making them anyway in a form of political vandalism that often forces officials to sit up and pay attention. The tactic can definitely pay off, as it’s not unusual for these temporary lanes – made of traffic cones, flower pots, or even toilet plungers – to eventually become permanent. Tactical Urbanism has a variety of tips in this area, along with case studies that show how it worked out in various cities.

Make Modular Structures Out of Found Objects

Hacking cities needn’t (and arguably shouldn’t) involve the purchase of expensive, heavy, potentially waste-producing materials. DIY urbanists are encouraged, instead, to “hack” into existing modular systems to make them work for new purposes. Examples include Mifactori’s “Circular Street Waste” workshop, in which discarded furniture and other trash collected from the city streets is transformed into versatile multi-use parts that could become tables, benches, shelters and more.

Similarly, the 3erlin Grid (say “Berlin Grid”) offers a grid-based decentralized open standard for building objects and structures that always leaves a distance of 3cm between holes for nuts and bolts so all parts always fit together and can be combined in infinite ways. So if one person builds, say, a DIY table for a city, someone else can come along and add to it. They’re often based on children’s toys, found objects that can be easily modified, like fencing and scaffolding. The principles follow those of OpenStructures, which include using recyclable materials, designing for disassembly and making components as cross-compatible as possible.

Many tactical urbanism projects are self-explanatory, and easy to recreate just by looking at what other people have accomplished. Check out some of our previous posts on urban hacking for a whole lot of inspiration.

Tactical Urbanism: 15 Low-Cost City Hacks for Fun & Functionality

The Rotten Apple Project: Quick & Dirty Urban Hacks

City Hacktivism: 12 Fun DIY Urban Interventions

Hack Your City: Guerrilla Grafter’s Guide for Making Ornamental Trees Edible

Street Re-View: Hacking Google with Theatrical Performances

Abandoned Bridge Amphitheater Reclaims Public Space

Free soba and tempura in exchange for getting on the train a little earlier could be a tasty offer for Tokyo commuters who are sick of the “subway sandwich,” which has nothing to do with bread and everything to do with having your face smashed into a stranger’s armpit for the duration of your ride. The city’s transit system is so overloaded at peak hours, it has to hire literal “pushers” who physically cram as many people onto the trains as they can. Now, they’re hoping to tempt commuters on the frenetic Tozai line to help ease up the crunch.

As reported by the Japan Times, the Tokyo Metro Co. has launched a new program that rewards early birds noodles rather than worms. A two-week pilot program asks passengers to voluntarily stagger their commutes during morning rush hour in exchange for coupons for free meals at Metro An, a soba noodle shop affiliated with the transit company.

To participate, commuters have to sign up for the campaign and register their card information in advance before participating for 10 consecutive weekdays. And yes, there is a catch: volunteers will only get the coupon for a free bowl of noodles and tempura if 3,000 people participate. If only 2,500 sign up, they’ll just get noodles. If it’s only 2,000, they get a single piece of tempura. The trial runs through February 1st, so it remains to be seen whether a whole lot of people are going to alter their schedules and receive nothing but a piece of breaded shrimp for their efforts.

Of course, the Tokyo crunch is no joke, and less crowding is a reward in its own right. If you’ve never seen the in action, check out these videos demonstrating exactly how pushers make sure every single subway car is packed with human sardines and you’ll get the idea.

A series of sweaty portraits entitled “Tokyo Compression” captured by Hong Kong-based German artist Michael Wolf further illuminate the issue. Wolf minces no words on just how wild it gets, saying “Man is responsible for this himself – a dreadful system for people, and by people.”

Top photo by Takeshi Fujisawa/Flickr CC by 2.0

These traffic safety cones manage to rise above their innate urban utility by virtue of some – dare we say ‘iconic’ – conic characteristics.

Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand is truly a work in progress: construction began in 1997 and is, at press time, ongoing with no end in sight. Nevertheless, tourists are welcome to visit the Buddhism-themed art exhibit designed and owned by eccentric Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat but park VERY carefully… or else! Flickr members jay joslin (moonbird) and Bill Vriesema (bvriesem) snapped some of the White Temple complex’s many spooky skull-headed traffic cones in May of 2012 and July of 2015, respectively.

Black Is The New Orange

When it comes to those most solemn of occasions, a garish day-glo orange traffic cone simply will not do. In keeping with the primary function of safety cones, however, the example above sports a bone-white (sorry) central section with contrasting black lettering and a cross. Presumably “funeral cones” displaying Greek Orthodox crosses, Stars of David, the Islamic Star & Crescent and the Flying Spaghetti Monster lie await in storage. Flickr member Andreas-photography captured this rather funereal funeral cone from Essex, UK, in October of 2008.

A Cone With a Peel

Expect something magical when visiting the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA… or at least, expect unexpectedly cute safety cones. This cleverly designed cone evokes the old trope of careless cartoon characters slipping on banana peels – does that ever even happen in real life? Flickr member junaidrao captured this banana peel cone poolside in May of 2017.

Here’s another a-peel-ing safety cone, saved for photographic posterity in front of the Jamba Juice kiosk at Downtown Disney District. Flickr member Sam Howzit was impressed by its presence in December of 2015. We hope Sam didn’t spill his juice (or himself) while trying to get the perfect shot.

Conic Image Search

TIL Google has their own traffic cones… and they’re WAY cheesier than anyone could imagine! OK, points for representing the primary colors of the omnipresent search engine’s logo (well, kinda) but geez, guys, with all your moolah is this really the best you could do? Flickr member Simon Law (sfllaw) couldn’t resist recording this group of Google chromes, er, cones in Mountain View South, CA, back in November of 2006.

Gold @ Gray’s

So the “How to Enjoy Traffic Cones” reception was a thing, who knew? Someone knew enough to customize some traffic cones, mind you, because boring old orange plastic cones would look so out of place at a swanky “reception” featuring traffic cones, amiright? Flickr member chashama Inc. photo-documented the October 2nd, 2009 collaborative exhibition held near the former midtown NYC location of Gray’s Papaya at Eighth Avenue and 37th Street.

“Invariably unique, eye-catching and unpredictable, traffic cones are almost art. Like sculpture, their primary function is to be looked at.” So stated Erik Sanner, event organizer and King Kone. Can we call him that, cuz that would be awesome, just like these golden safety cones. Flickr member Nick Normal caught one of the blinged-up beauties with the sadly-departed Gray’s Papaya in the background. Thanks Nick, now we’re hangry!

Beltway Lament

Indeed, no one should be judged by the color of their, uh, anything but this cone from The Nation’s Capitol proclaims its protest publicly… and pointedly. Flickr member Daniel Lobo (Daquella manera) caught this cone standing up for non-human rights way back in 2009… years before folks started hating on orange.

Corny Cones

How sweet it is… both Candy Corn and this group of traffic cones apparently tinted to match the much-reviled perennial Halloween “treat”. Flickr member Bill Couch came across this curious crop of Candy Corn traffic cones in October of 2009 while seeing the sights of Washington D.C. In related news, Candy Corn traffic cones are a sight worth seeing in Washington D.C.

Flickr member thisisbossi snapped a Candy Corn cone in Washington D.C.’s historic district of Kalorama Triangle, and on October 31st yet! The close-up shot doesn’t indicate whether this was a solitary example or part of a larger group of cones. Either way, you wouldn’t want to lick it – tooth decay would be the least of your problems.

Dick or Jerry?

Obviously, the trio of bright orange safety cones above was meant to be deployed near dangerous levees in Holland… according to my wife, Morgan Fairchild. Yeah, that’s the traffic ticket! Seriously though, where would one actually use cones bearing such an “interesting” legend? A local Pride Parade, perhaps? Flickr member Capes Treasures‘ link to a presumed proprietary website comes up 404 so we’ll have to settle on the ol’ leaky Dutch seawall explanation. Mind yer fingers!

Ground Floor

“The Wet Floor Sign That Wanted To Be a Traffic Cone” would make a great children’s book, according to Flickr member J.G. Park. Since turnabout is fair play, somewhere there’s an orange traffic cone plopped in the middle of an accidental puddle at some supermarket. The wannabe cone was snapped in 2016 while prompting double-takes from folks in Columbia, Missouri.

I Coneface

Whomever drew the scowling visage on the orange traffic cone above needs to be in an artist’s studio, not outside directing traffic or working on some anonymous construction project. Flickr member Rob Swystun zoomed in for an up close & personal view in May of 2012 while prowling the gritty city streets of Winnipeg, Canada… and you can bet he’s not sorry.

In centuries past, people would dig tunnels for all sorts of purposes – escaping war, transporting bootleg goods, running other kinds of illegal operations, secretly expanding their homes under the surface or just mining chalk and flint. Some were naturally created, some accidentally as cities like Chattanooga raised the grade of their streets to avoid flooding. Back when Portland, Oregon was one of the world’s most dangerous ports, its notorious Shanghai Tunnels were used to transport and sell slaves captured in the city above in a historic example of human trafficking. Often, residents of cities don’t even realize there are hidden subterranean spaces right beneath their feet.

Atlas Obscura asked its readers to submit local stories about underground passageways in their own hometowns, and they delivered. Some are confirmed, and others are just rumors, but it’s fascinating to read about what might be lurking just outside our view. Here are a couple of those stories – for the rest, head over to Atlas Obscura.

Clare, Michigan

Not my hometown, but the nearest city to where my parents retired in lower central Michigan. The legendary Purple Gang of Jailhouse Rock fame would hole up in the only hotel in town, The Doherty. They installed a tunnel between the hotel and the pharmacy across the street. The upper floor of the pharmacy was a speakeasy and brothel. Part of the tunnel was uncovered during recent road repairs so it was definitely real. — Kelly Wells

Detroit, Michigan

Northville tunnels. Tunnels that went underneath the northville psychiatric hospital and connected to out buildings. The rumors are that more extreme cases were kept in isolation cells down there. Kids would break in when I was a teenager and hangout in them. Homeless people were also known to use them for shelter. — Rachel Woodward

Grand Island, Nebraska

I purchased the historic seven story Masonic Temple, built in 1925 in Grand Island. A magnificent building, it had secret rooms befitting a Masonic building. As a group of urban explorers from Chicago visited me, we searched the basement and found a strange cinder block wall that did not seem right. After some liquid courage, the men and one woman, took turns with a sledge hammer, knocking a hole in the wall. We found the beginnings of an old steam tunnel. As many cities in the Midwest, the city produced electricity and as a byproduct, sold steam to downtown buildings. There was LOTS of sand but we burrowed through to find about three blocks worth. Armed with flashlights, we found tunnels tall enough to comfortably walk, two by two; dark, smelly and dangerous because we felt not enough air could get to us, we were cautious. The steam pipes had been removed. We were convinced the tunnel had not been used since the 1940s and our guess was confirmed, quietly, by city officials and told to seal the entrance. I did so the following week. — Paul Warshauer

Everett, Washington
When I was going to Sequoia High School, the former principal once told me about a tunnel that supposedly exists under the school. The buildings that are now the high school and the gym were built during the Franklin D. Roosevelt, ‘New Deal’ era. She told me that it was constructed as an underground means of escape from one building to the other in the event of an emergency. Apparently, it was also used as part of an initiation for the new principals who were made to run through the pitch black tunnel before assuming their new post. — Claire

Top image via Keary O./Flickr Creative Commons