Can you even remember the last time we built anything cool ?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

[font size=4]Shenandoah National Park was built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a government jobs program created during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Workers constructed the rock walls, overlooks, picnic grounds, campgrounds, trails, and the Skyline Drive. They also planted the mountain laurel that lines the road, and built more than 340 structures in the park, many now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The work of the CCC is commemorated by a statue of a CCC worker, Iron Mike.

"


http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/shenandoah-national-park/

[onehandle]

1. Clearly you don't appreciate the subtle beauty of a newly built Waffle House. nt

[davidn3600]

2. ...or Wal-Mart.

[Bosso 63]

36. Wal-Mart: The ruthlessness of Capitalism and the aesthetics of Communism. :)

[HiPointDem]

56. +1. Though I actually appreciate some of the aesthetics of communism better than walmart's.

communist architecture wasn't all soulless cement apartment blocks, you know (i was shocked to find that most of athens was, however, when i visited there in the 80s...)

model of 'monument to the third international,' 1919



built 1928:



1930s:



circa late 30s:



metro station built 1938:




1945:



built 1946:




metro station built 1958:




hotel 1950s:



1967, 279 feet high:



1981, part of the 'memorial of the great patriotic war' complex in kiev:




stalin favored the wedding-cake type stuff...

[Bosso 63]

60. Wow!

Creativity is like Life: it seems to find a way to express it's self in unexpected places.

[Buzz Clik]

10. +1

Nighthogs at the Trough

[madokie]

3. We would have if the jobs bill had passed

you know the one the pukes were against

[Earth_First]

4. If anyone has ever been to Letchworth State Park in New York...

they'd appriciate the work that the CCC did for making the gorges around upper and lower falls accessible to all to enjoy. The sheer magnitude of the stone staircases and arched bridges has me in awe every time we visit.

To answer your question, I cannot think of anything so equally impressive being built in my lifetime...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

34. I appreciate the simplicity of their work so much. Here's an example from Petit

Jean Valley in Arkansas.

" In most cases the architecture of the CCC (a public relief program that was active from 1933-1942 employing young men across the country to primarily focus on natural resource conservation projects) compliments the landscape, is aesthetically pleasing and was designed to enhance the visitor’s experience. "





http://www.interpretationbydesign.com/?p=1470

[Laura PourMeADrink]

38. CCC

[loli phabay]

5. personally i just built four ponds with a hundred yards of streams joining them

Its pretty cool, lots of waterfalls and rockwork. Lots of manual labour but worth it. Personally i would like a public works program to hardtop rural roads and mayby run a service to help people with projects that cant do them or afford them.

[randome]

9. That sounds cool. Post some pictures!

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[loli phabay]

13. i like it, long term i plan to add more, hopefully another four or five ponds

Then im stocking with catfish in a couple, white perch, carp and expanding my koi. Plan is to make makeit a viable food source. Trying to see if i can put trout in the stream parts but not sure how well they would do. At the moment im building a system that when i want i can take fifty percent of the water and redirect onto my garden and then top the ponds up. Benefits are the plants get the nutrients and the fish get fresh water.

[HereSince1628]

6. Sort of depends on the parsing of 'we' and 'cool'

In Milwaukee, not long ago 'we' built this addition to the art museum. It's pretty cool, and when it's not, the moving wings of the sun-shade can help adjust for that.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. Pretty cool? That's amazingly beautiful. Go Milwaukee ! nt

[tridim]

7. One of the main reasons I quit architecture

I couldn't get anything built that was "cool" because of all the uncool citizens who showed up at city council meetings to oppose anything that was even slightly unique. It was a real problem and it drove me away.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. To me, we've turned into a culture of greed and selfishness. Big business and repukes, abeted

by conservative media, have created this meme that most people are out to get something for nothing. Just like Romney said when he got caught. Look at the reaction to healthcare...no one every articulates the real truth to it...the elephant in the room..that people don't give a shit that someone else can't see a doctor or go to a hospital and may die because of it. Anything that benefits the entire public, as whole, is bad.

[Tracer]

8. Have you seen "Build It Bigger" on the Science Channel?

I'm always amazed at the giant projects that are being built in OTHER countries.

Recently I've seen shows about a giant dam in Turkey (larger than the Hoover Dam), a water de-salinization plant in Australia and recently, an airport in India.

All of these projects use new technologies and construction methods that are fascinating -- and I wonder why nothing like it is planned for the U.S.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. Yes. Something worthwhile, for the good of all. I know this is probably a private venture

but think it's so cool...in Milan.

The lush green high rises are efficiently designed and enshrouded in vegetation that helps to insulate the interiors while providing fresh air. Photovoltaic panels help to shade sun-facing windows while generating energy, and solar water heaters help to further increase efficiency. The development is currently slated for construction in 2013.

[pipoman]

12. The Big Dig?

[Atman]

14. I was going to say that, too.

Many just associate Boston tunnel project as a boondoggle, but it was an amazing feat of engineering.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. I agree ! Preserve the beauty and history of the above ground ! nt

[Atman]

30. Incredible that anyone even conceived of such a project

I have always been amazed not just at the engineering minds who envisioned such a project (and of course, the people who actually constructed it), but also nerve of the people to okay such a project. To essentially jack up half a city while you worked underneath it, meanwhile building the tunnel sections as ships in dry dock then floating them into place -- man, who thinks up this kinda stuff?! The city is much nicer because of it.

[Mopar151]

31. Absolutely transformed Boston.

The old I-93 was never finished, a crumbling eyesore that made Beantown a trucker's nightmare.

[godai]

41. Oedo underground loop line in Tokyo.

Considering underground projects, this is an entirely new (2001) subway loop line. Major US infrastructure projects are few and far between. But, we do have 11 aircraft carriers and 3 new ones on the way...

The new underground line loops around the metropolitan area, linking previously unconnected old-fashioned residential enclaves, like the upscale Azabu Juban and the blue-collar Tsukishima, with Shinjuku, where municipal offices fill the skyscrapers.

The Oedo Line's 37 stops include Aoyama Itchome (a district known for chic boutiques), Tsukiji Shijou (with the world's largest wholesale fish market), Hongou San-chome (the University of Tokyo), and Ryougoku (the sumo wrestling stadium and the Edo-Tokyo Museum).

Every station has escalators and elevators, even diaper-changing facilities and child-size toilets in the restrooms. Most stations have wheelchair access and ticket vending machines that include Japanese Braille.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/11/travel/travel-advisory-12th-tokyo-subway-line-loops-around-city.html



http://www.odakyu.jp/english/traffic/shinjuku/ohedo/

[graham4anything]

15. The brand new World Trade Center in NYC is cool

and it took til Barack Obama's term to get it actually done.

Seems Bush liked the empty hole for his soundbytes.

It should have been put back up by 2004 or 2005.

The spiral on top is awesome

[Laura PourMeADrink]

21. I often wondered why it took so long but never read up on the subject

Was the federal govt partially responsible for building it?

Yes about Bush ! That's the same reason he didn't want to catch Bin Laden.

Took this last summer from the Jersey side.

[Morning Dew]

17. In Minneapolis, on a smallish scale -

Here's the old bridge:

work on the new bridge:

Grand opening

Lights !

[Laura PourMeADrink]

39. very cool ! I guess people in MN are more open to spending on

bridge repair, for sure

[Bosso 63]

40. My first driving lesson took me over the steel grate deck of the old Lowry Bridge.

The teacher from Dayton's Driving School did it to see how students react to the view of the river directly under the car.

[Mopar151]

18. Our hillclimb series runs in VT Parks

All built by the CCC. The roads are unique, and are marvels of old school craftsmanship. 70+ years later, the structures are simple, functional, and inviting.

Take a ride-along with #68

[Puzzledtraveller]

19. 1985

[woo me with science]

20. It's all on the War Channel.

New ways to slaughter for profit.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

27. Yup. Drones and Missiles and Fighter Jets. They are SO beautiful ! nt

[HappyMe]

23. *sigh* No, we haven't.

Not anything cool like that, that could benefit plenty of people.

Office buildings and condos are nice, but...

[maddezmom]

26. Well this is cool but very local

This is where I take my dog once or twice a week. They built a connector bridge!

http://www.chron.com/woodlands/extra/article/George-Mitchell-Nature-Preserve-Pedestrian-Bridge-4199339.php

http://www.springcreekgreenway.org/

[HappyMe]

29. Okay, that is cool.

That would be a nice walk.

[maddezmom]

32. The best part is I can walk to it on the regular walking path and then do the hike

All in all it is about 3.5 miles and for the most part shady which is very good in the summer here in TX.

[HappyMe]

33. That sounds pleasant, especially the part about the shade.

We need more of these kinds of projects. Anything that gets people outside is always good with me. If it's free, or even a dollar or two, that's good too.
I suppose that there are a bunch more locally that people outside the area don't hear about.

[maddezmom]

37. We do have a lot of public parks in my area

It is the epitome of suburbia, master planned community but done well, IMO.

http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/parks/

[kentauros]

25. I guess it all depends on where you look.

I'd say without question that the "cool factor" of the James Webb Space Telescope is phenomenal!

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html

[marions ghost]

28. We no longer think of the common good

so we build for profit only. And the results are generally ugly.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

42. goes hand in hand with the general attitude that pervades the right - no help, no care

for anyone else. It's bad enough not to care about the common good - but they have swung to ridicule to boot.

[malaise]

35. Yes - a fabulous bridge over the Colorado- the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

Last edited Wed May 22, 2013, 06:34 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/us/23bridge.html?_r=0
The bridge is officially named the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. Mr. O’Callaghan was a governor of Nevada, a Korean War veteran and a newspaper editor. Mr. Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals football team before joining the Army and dying in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

[A HERETIC I AM]

45. Ummmm....it's not IN Colorado,

it's OVER the Colorado!


That's Hoover Dam, and the border between Arizona and Nevada runs right through the center.

[malaise]

50. My bad

[A HERETIC I AM]

51. Honest mistake!

Hope you're well!

[malaise]

52. I'm very well thank you

Not a complaint and there's yellow tail snapper in the freezer

[morningfog]

43. Curiosity is pretty incredible.

[kentauros]

47. NASA continues to build stuff that's far more than simply "cool",

and yeah, quite incredible!

But they're all out in space (or "hidden" in spinoffs and aerodynamics research) and thus, out of sight, out of mind.

That new orbiting telescope is going to be phenomenal!

[Demo_Chris]

44. Dallas High Five

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. The California Conservation Corps

Going all the way back...does fire fighting, and installs solar panels among other things.

[opiate69]

48. Yes.

Kepler Observatory/Spacecraft

[hughee99]

49. The big dig in boston was a pretty impressive project.

(this was just one part of it)...

Being a yankee fan, I figured you might have said this...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

53. thanks ! great, close, season so far ! nt

[HiPointDem]

54. CCC & WPA construction = gorgeous. But I think space program

construction, etc also amazing.

I think it's been a while since public funding built much that was cool, though.

[RedCappedBandit]

55. From The Ashes

[Jesus Malverde]

57. New Bay Bridge?

[hrmjustin]

58. Welcome to DU my friend!

[Bluenorthwest]

59. It's been up since 2007 or so but it is cool to me, Portland Arial Tram

And on a smaller scale, this news from today is fitting.
"U.S. Secretary of the Interior visits Portland, announces 600 jobs tied to youth-employment conservation grants."
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/05/us_secretary_of_the_interior_v.html