Written by Elsa Brown: Ramón Coronado moved to Los Angeles four years ago. He settled across the street from MacArthur Park, and became quickly aware of the lack of recreational spaces, and overabundance of trash in the neighborhood. In response, Coronado recently completed a 12 week project in which he constructed furniture for children— including a chair, lamp, and swing— out of discarded shopping carts.

Of the relationship between the abandoned carts and LA, Coronodo writes: “Shopping carts exist everywhere and anywhere throughout the city of LA and include themselves as part of LA’s landscape. A shopping cart says a lot about a city. Seeing one on every block adds attention to the poverty and that there is no control of private property.” Coronado’s re-purposing brings new attention to the circumstances of his city; it recognizes the possibility for objects that have been cast aside to transform their environments for the better. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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Manhattan’s morning commute is brutal amid construction. Back to back cars, jackhammers, clouds of dust and makeshift detours are a formula for instant frustration. Construction zones and the urban grid do not mix in function nor form. And, according to the Alliance for Downtown New York, Manhattan construction is increasing. An estimated $30 billion worth of new development is underway at nearly 200 sites below Canal Street.

In an effort to beautify these sites, the Alliance for Downtown New York is partnering with city officials and companies to integrate art projects within the construction zones. While it doesn’t take care of the need for better traffic patterns, it does enhance the visual blight presented by numerous construction sites across the city. As the NY Times reports: ”’The area is experiencing construction fatigue and, for a lot of people, it’s been a jarring experience,’ said Elizabeth H. Berger, president of the alliance. ‘At the end of the day while these are improvements that advance Lower Manhattan, in the short term it’s tough.’ The construction potentially affects about 314,000 people who work in the area, 54,000 who live there and more than 5 million who visit the area every year.” We think the project is fantastic for the city. It’s a notable innovation for an often overlooked problem. Click Read More for additional information.

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