Having something as mundane as a transit pass be designed so beautifully installs a sense of civic pride. Plus, it employs artists. Both of these things are important for a community.
Transit passes may have been phased out in a lot of places, but there are lots of opportunities for a city to design and display public art.
I'd imagine that counterfeit-prevention is part of it. This theory predicts that they changed the design regularly, and each one was significantly different so operators could quickly tell whether it was the new design.
Tangibly related - stadelijk in Amsterdam has that exhibit in which you get to experience 90' schiphol, with the pa and the glowing signs. It's really good
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Having something as mundane as a transit pass be designed so beautifully installs a sense of civic pride. Plus, it employs artists. Both of these things are important for a community.
Transit passes may have been phased out in a lot of places, but there are lots of opportunities for a city to design and display public art.
I'd imagine that counterfeit-prevention is part of it. This theory predicts that they changed the design regularly, and each one was significantly different so operators could quickly tell whether it was the new design.
On this topic, I highly recommend the New York Transit Museum
Tangibly related - stadelijk in Amsterdam has that exhibit in which you get to experience 90' schiphol, with the pa and the glowing signs. It's really good
These days we just get repulsive AI slop plastered on everything.