Faking It: Imitations of Cities Around the Globe

For better or worse, cities mimic each other, making replicas of great landmarks down to unique light fixtures. The Infrastructurist selects top 5 cities that do the job well. Not surprisingly, Shanghai earns the title as the hallmark of knock-offs.

1 minute read

September 9, 2011, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jeff Jamawat


Ranked at No. 5 is the Rabbit Island, Michigan. Alexa Miller writes, "Manhattan native Rob Gorski proved you can buy just about anything off of Craigslist - he used the site to purchase a deserted Michigan island. At the time, Rabbit Island was 91 acres of undisturbed terrain, but Gorski has big plans for its future - he wanted to create an artist residency that mimicked the island of Manhattan."

Also on the list are Lyon, Dubai; Las Vegas, Nev.; Leavenworth, Wash.; and Thames Town, Shanghai.

Convincing as they may be on the surface, these replicas prove that - like food and fashion - nothing beats the original.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 in The Infrastructurist

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