Beautification is the process of making visual improvements to a town, city, or urban area. This most often involves
planting trees, shrubbery, and other greenery, but frequently also includes adding decorative or historic-style street lights and other lighting and replacing broken
pavement, often with brick or other natural materials. Old-fashioned
cobblestones are sometimes used for crosswalks; they provide the additional benefit of slowing motorists.
Beautification projects are often undertaken by
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
s to refurbish their downtown areas, in order to boost tourism or other commerce. Often, this is also spurred by broken sidewalks, which pose a safety hazard for
pedestrians and potentially insurmountable obstacles for
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...
users. These projects are frequently part of other larger projects such as construction, especially in conjunction with ones for transit, such as streets and roads and
mass transit.
The
Laurel Hill Association of
Stockbridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1853, is the oldest incorporated village beautification society in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
The
Memphis City Beautiful Commission, the oldest city beautification project in the United States, was established in 1930.
See also
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Aesthetics
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
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Urban life
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Landscape design
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Beautification and conservation plant
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City Beautiful movement
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The Ugly Indian
References
Urban studies and planning terminology
Aesthetic beauty
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