There was a lot of talk about this at TypeCon05. Some of the talks may become available. Paula Scher's presentation was spot on your subject.
Also look at the typeface Gotham as it relates to New York.

ChrisL

Gerard Unger tells a great story about designing Capitolium for Rome.

Jean Francois tells a great story about designing Parisine for the Paris metro.

Dear Björn,

Take a look at Simon Loxley's Type: The Secret History of Letters (London, 2004), chap. 9, on the London Underground. That's fourteen pages on one aspect of the typography of one city, so producing a study about the typography of all cities in the world would probably be either overly large or overly generalized. You might want to narrow your project. Good luck!

There's also some really good commentary on the recent
Prague city ID in one of the earlier issues of TYPO:
http://www.magtypo.cz/english.html

hhp

The Twin typeface was intended to be site-specific.

thanx for the hint on the book!
the aim of the project so far (i'm just at the start of my research!)is not to analyse each and every city and its typographic applications. my aim is to generate an overview of possible ways of dealing with citys to generate a certain typography. based on this information i want to focus on the relation of space and typography (an the other way around, as in buildings and citys based on letters f.e. the alphabet city by paul noble).
or in other words: what does it need to transform space into typography and typography into (usable/interesting)space.

> what does it need to transform space into typography and typography into (usable/interesting)space.

I generally think of typography in 2-dimensions and architecture in 3-dimentions. But I did study architectonics under John Hejduk who was more a poet visionary than a brick-and-mortar architect.

Also, I've always felt that Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló in Barcelona was as textured as Catalan manuscripts, if that's what you mean.

Norbert, lazy with the diacritics again - tsk tsk.
But great taste in architecture.

hhp

Thanks, Hrant... fixed!

And this small gallery of John Hejduk's work can be viewed as typography and sculpture. (especially the 'shaping 3D space' and '1/2 house')

Norbert,
You may be old but you can still spin a 6 :-)

ChrisL

And thereby cause massive parafoveal distraction while reading...
Remember, the human retina has evolved to quickly notice that
jaguar lunging from the side. So, Norbert, your icon is the well-
meaning but ultimately deadly jaguar of cyberspace.

hhp

Yes, I know.
I just had to become No. 6 for a while, after Dan Weaver kept hounding the Prisoner. Avatar back to normal.

-----------------------------------------
Yes, I'm old, but I'm definitely Zen!

Normal for a Charlie Chan movie, aye number one son?
:-)

ChrisL

hey norbert,
i think architecture and typographie have very much in common. they both deal with interior space, the shape and its expression -letter/house-, as well as the relation of the shapes to each other. -kerning/city-
besides, both try to communicate at least one additional dimension and they are generally published in 2D.

The best parallel I've found to type design is shoemaking.

hhp

Hrant, I've heard of clothing fashions as parallel, but not shoemaking per se.
The more I think of it, the more it seems to fit. :-)

It's really a superb parallel, especially in terms of text fonts: shoes that are slightly uncomfortable seem fine when walking around the house, but if you try a mile in them, you pay - and you can't judge by looking at them either.

hhp

Not to trumpet your cause Hrant but, I guess only display fonts require shoe horns :-)

ChrisL

It probably deserves a new topic of Type Parallels to run it through the gauntlet.

If you compare reading with modes of walking (inclusive of running, dancing, hiking and so on) and shoes or foot apparel as type, you can go pretty far with the analogy.

But my question is when does Nike get involved (Just do it®)

They hired Carson didn't they? (As if...)

hhp

It's an excellent parallel. Comfort for long or short distances, proper selection, purpose, durability, versatility, style.

And they have arches like letters! And plus they have those little feet on them!!! ; )

you can check out a brilliant overview on the devellopment of Milano City typeface from the Linotype custom type services department:

http://www.linotype.com/2088-24-2088/pdf/00_home/images/home_07/MILANO_C...

it outlines features and perceived traits of the city as they had to be found in the overall personality of the typeface, while keeping up with the modern and upscale look Milano sought to project.