Life-Saving Streets

New fortified parking meters, "drinking fountains, trash cans, benches, bus shelters, newsstands, planters, traffic lights and street lights...are intended to replace concrete barricades used to protect many public buildings since" major terrorist attacks. The furniture "looks like conventional urban fixtures, but is reinforced with internal bars of hardened steel buried deep in cement." Proponents hope that "the new designs will help restore public confidence shaken by terrorist attacks," and restore some "traditional beauty" to the landmarks they protect. "[D]esigning with terrorism in mind 'is just like adjusting to handicap and sprinkler codes...[it] is part of retrofitting our cities,' " said one planner.

Thanks to David Gest