50 amazing new public-space transformations captured by Google Street View
A parking lot becomes a park. A crosswalk gets the cobblestone treatment, and a sidewalk stretches just a few yards.
In the life of a pedestrian, these changes — big and small — make all the difference.
In 2015, a Brazilian urban planning collective called Urb-i (shorthand for Urban Ideas) set out to show examples of people-friendly public spaces with an inspiring before-and-after gallery of Google Street View images revealing the most stunning transformations from around the world.
The gallery got a makeover in the last few month with a series of new before-and-afters, as well as a number of new features, including photos divided by country and a map so users can zoom in on transformations. Take a look at some of our favorite new before-and-after photos.
We are a society "addicted to cars," according to the four young founders of Urb-i.
Getty Images/Daniel BerehulakYuval Fogelson, Carolina Guido, Fernanda Mercês, and Rodolfo Macedo founded Urb-i in 2015.
Traffic lanes and parking take precedent over green spaces and outdoor seating. People traveling on foot are quarantined to tiny sidewalks.
Nacho Doce/ReutersIt just doesn't seem fair. Fortunately, the founders of Urb-i have an addiction of their own ...
Urb-i/Google Street ViewSee the rest of the story at Business Insider