#HTE

Before/After Shots of Cities Going on Green Diets

Global design firm WATG periodically rolls out speculative GIFs demonstrating how famous urban stretches can be realistically green-ified. These “Green Block” initiatives started with London’s Fleet Street:

Then NYC’s Flatiron district, where Fifth Avenue meets Broadway at the eponymous building:

Their most recent release is Honolulu’s Kalakaua Avenue, which runs alongside Waikiki Beach:

While each of the GIFs last mere seconds, they belie months to years of research into viable, practical ways to make city streets more eco-friendly, as well as attractive. The green measures are meant to serve “as a living, breathing solution to air filtration; reducing car noise, impact and pollution; and increasing green corridors for urban dwellers and visitors to interact with nature. The solution encourages cycling and walking, replacing paved paths with lush native greenery; and enhances curb appeal for restaurants and retail – providing untapped commercial opportunities for increased foot traffic and outdoor dining and shopping.”

And while the renders show complete visions, the firm stresses that these don’t have to be executed all at once; in a nod to budgets and timelines, the green components of each plan “can be incrementally and practically achieved in urban areas.”

You can learn more about each of the following plans at the links below:

- London

- New York

- Honolulu