I was recently going through the 8,952,423,065 pictures on my phone – saving some, posting some, even printing some, and deleting a lot. This exercise in photo curation is a great walk down memory lane from my past year. It is a reminder of all of the places I have been and interesting things that I have seen. And many were taken, I know, with the expressed purpose of sharing them with you.

Even when I am on vacation I am working. “Look at those awesome chairs! Did you see the sidewalks? Sculpture? Benches? Crosswalk? Bike rack?” Those who travel with me are used to this refrain.

Here are a few of the images of unique and fun ideas from public spaces that I saw this past year – I hope that some of them provide inspiration for your downtown!

 

Green Space

This vertical garden along the Greenway in Boston.

 

Or this Ivy Wall in Pittsburgh (FYI, those silvery trees are sculptures – amazing!).

 

Sidewalks

Also in Pittsburgh…a map etched into the sidewalk.

 

Meanwhile, in Woodstock, NY the sidewalks are made of stepping stones that look like leaves.

 

Community Culture and History on Display

Woodstock, NY also plays up its musical history with decorated guitars all through the downtown.

 

And in Belfast, Maine the fishing culture of the coastal town is incorporated into the public seating with these chairs made out of lobster traps.

 

What caught your eye on vacation this year? Did you find inspiration on your travels? or in your backyard? Share your snaps with us for a future blog!