Urban features like decorative knobs on walls are designed to prevent loitering. By disguising their hostile purpose as aesthetics, property owners avoid public conversations about homelessness and the use of public space, effectively shuffling problems around without addressing them.
The famously ornate manhole covers in Japan weren't just for aesthetics. A government bureaucrat initiated the project in the 1980s as a clever public relations campaign to raise awareness and appreciation for municipal sewer systems, aiming to garner public support for higher taxes to fund infrastructure improvements.
Small metal plaques on sidewalks stating 'private property' serve a critical legal function. They prevent the public from gaining legal rights to the land through continuous use—a concept known as adverse possession. This allows owners to permit public passage while legally retaining future development rights.
In writing 'The 99% Invisible City,' one author focused on including the best possible individual stories, while the co-author prioritized ensuring they fit into a cohesive book structure. This creative tension forced them to justify each inclusion and resulted in a stronger, more balanced final product.
When adapting a podcast for a book, creators had to remove transitional sentences designed to guide a linear listener. An editor noted these 'handoffs' don't work for readers who skip around, highlighting a key difference between audio and text consumption patterns that content creators must respect.
The creators of '99% Invisible' found managing a long-deadline book project alongside their weekly podcast was 'excruciating.' The constant churn and immediate feedback of the weekly show conflicted with the slow, distant payoff of the book, creating a unique motivational challenge for the team.
Unlike a solid speed bump, a 'speed cushion' is a traffic calming device with wheel-wide gaps. This simple design innovation effectively slows down standard cars while allowing wider-axle vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks to pass through without slowing down, prioritizing emergency response.