Care and Maintenance Instructions for Urban Infrastructure

Morgan Clendaniel reports on a Minneapolis artistic intervention, Urban Plant Tags, that call attention to often overlooked amenities in the built environment.

1 minute read

May 6, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By jerinbrent


Urban Plant Tags, a project of Minneapolis-based Carmichael Collective, are designed to look like oversized versions of the tags that accompany potted plants. These tags, however, are placed next to amenities such as street lights and park benches. Care instructions serve as a reminder that the infrastructure that populates your neighborhood doesn't take care of itself.

"Change light bulb annually", and "Occasionally wipe clean" are among the descriptions of care required. Clendaniel believes the tags serve as a creative reminder, while also connecting people to their neighborhood in a new way. From his point of view, "the project does help foster a sense that things like fire hydrants or stop signs don't simply sprout from the ground at random, and that to create a sense of place and community, we should all be a little mindful of what makes up the place where we live."

Thanks to Jessica Brent

Friday, May 4, 2012 in Fast Co.Exisit

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

45 minutes ago - CNU Public Square

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.