Knowledge Maps

Visualising the rigorous exam taken by London’s black cab drivers

The Knowledge is a fascinating and uniquely London tradition that is now over 100 years old. ‘The Knowledge’ – sometimes called ‘a degree in London’ - is a rigorous exam taken by London’s black cab drivers that takes an average of four years to complete.

I was interested in what the drivers learned and assumed that this must exist somewhere as a discreet body of knowledge. As I came to research the subject however, I discovered that the Knowledge is an ephemeral dataset. It does not exist in any single format, rather it lives in the heads of Knowledge examiners; constantly shifting and expanding along with the city it represents.

I created two maps that represent the two basic structures of the Knowledge; the routes or ‘runs’ and the dumbells. These form the basis for learning an estimated 30,000 different knowledge points which must be connected at random in order to pass the exam.

As we begin to debate the impacts of the sharing economy in London so too we begin to question the value of things like the Knowledge. My attempts to visualise the Knowledge are threefold;

• they attempt to understand what constitutes ‘the Knowledge’

• they attempt to capture a 100 year old process of learning that it unique to London

• they question what value this type of knowledge holds (or should hold)