It is a mistake to think that design is a kind of luxury reserved for the chosen few. Behind the objects and structures that we all use on a daily basis actually hide the brilliant minds of many people who, with creativity, imagination, and without losing sight of practicality, manage to offer us ever better solutions.
Also think about urban spaces, the public spaces in which we walk, work and transit every day. Isn’t it wonderful when they are enriched with projects capable of embellishing an anonymous environment, entertaining people and making everyday life more practical? The answer is definitely yes, which is why we’ve put together 16 examples of urban design that transformed cities and public spaces overnight. Looking at them, we really hope they will be adopted
#1. Does it make you want to go inside or stay outside to admire it more?
image credit: Dr_SoupMD/reddit
It’s the Kansas City Public Library, decorated with giant images of famous literary works!
#2. Parking your bike is a lot more fun with these chain-shaped bike carriers.
image credit: Caskla/reddit
They are found in Kansas City!
#3. They seem to float in the air
image credit: Imgur
These public chairs really invite to sit and rest: in addition to being aesthetic, they are also comfortable!
#4. Play with nature for a spectacular effect
image credit: reddit
With the right idea, even a simple pergola can become amazing like this: look at the effect of sunlight through the leaves.
#5. A pleasant discussion … inside the pond!
image credit: Imgur
#6. When you walk underneath … they bloom!
image credit: hqa.co.il
Indeed, these huge flowers designed by HQ Architects and installed in public spaces of Jerusalem open up and illuminate everything below them when someone passes below. A useful and imaginative idea!
#7. Even traffic light figures have feelings!
#8. A simple object that makes you smile
image credit: Jahvisassan/reddit
Even the simplest objects, such as a sign indicating a wet floor, can take on original and funny shapes: it is no coincidence that this one has the shape of a banana peel!
#9. This crosswalk button is specially designed for blind people.
image credit: beaned1/reddit
It indicates exactly the number of lanes they must cross and the direction of traffic: useful and inclusive!
#10. Who said planters always have to be the same and monotonous?
#11. A truly ecological maze!
Located in Buenos Aires, it was built entirely from more than 15,000 recycled plastic bottles.
#12. A very special bench
image credit: enorme studio/Facebook
This Spanish design project manages to combine several urban objects into one: really nice!
#13. How to turn the metro station sign into a fun sign!
image credit: DanceEats/reddit
We are in Oxford Circus, London, where, on the occasion of the launch of the PlayStation 5, the subway signs have been replaced with signs inspired by the console controller!
#14. A mega-domino in the park!
image credit: Imgur
#15. A beautiful labyrinth of mirrors.
It is an art installation, specially designed so that people can have fun and interact in an original way in the urban space.
#16. A park where recycling is king
It is called Urban Bloom and it is located in Shanghai. It is a space made entirely from recycled materials, which have found new life in truly surprising forms!
#17. This self-cleaning street is located in South Korea: a practical idea that should exist everywhere!
image credit: Imgur
Isn’t it wonderful when design and practicality go hand in hand, creating works, structures and urban embellishments that make people’s lives more practical and functional?