In Providence, Rhode Island, local craftsmen are turning trashcans into art. The metal bins are custom-worked with designs celebrating local businesses and more general themes.
The experiment may hold a lesson for other municipalities. “The idea is an ingenuous one for any cash-strapped city,” Emily Badger writes. “Don’t have a budget for more-traditional art? There’s probably money for it somewhere.”
The Providence program is an initiative of The Steel Yard, an industrial arts nonprofit. Since its founding in 2001, the organization has transformed its headquarters, the former site of an ornamental metal fabricator, into a center for industrial arts education and practice. Its clients include Providence’s Downtown Improvement District, which purchased 120 custom-made trashcans for the city’s sidewalks.
FULL STORY: The Case for Trash Cans as Art

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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