Ramsgate Fantasy Travel Network
Ramsgate Fantasy Transport Network was a project by myself and Dominic Rose (working as Transit Collective) designed to inspire creativity, playfulness and curiosity around Ramsgate. Its aim was to encourage participants to explore different potentials for travel around the town and to imagine fantastical solutions for our transport infrastructure.
The seafront station closed, and the remaining one relocated further into the outskirts of the town in 1926 leaving Ramsgate Station in a residential area some distance from the town centre and Royal Harbour. Connections are either by bus or on foot. In 1931 Barcelona opened the Port Vell Aerial Tramway running 1.3km from Montjuic to the old harbour, the same distance as Ramsgate Station is from the Royal Harbour. Could Ramsgate too have an Aerial Tramway? Or perhaps a system of slides making use of Ramsgate’s hills?
During a day combining an exploratory walk across the town, experimental mapping and a design workshop, participants modelled a new future for Ramsgate transport. A game was designed to help generate ideas in a playful and creative way. The game drew from participants’ own experience and helped design a unique local transport system.
Handouts were given to all the participants, these included some reference images, a questionnaire and the space to create their own mental map which they were asked to do at the end of the walk.
Participants were briefed by a simple game of chance - they were dealt a route card, a transport method card, two theme cards and a wild card. While it wasn't necessary to use these, they provided an immediate jumping off point.
At the end of the workshop, participants presented their ideas one-to-one with another participant. A series of appropriately silly prizes were awarded to the highest scoring projects.
