New York, New York, USA

It seems almost counter-intuitive but residents of large cities are healthier than those who live in the country. Why? They drive less; they walk and bike more; and their access to health care is better. They also live lives that are better for the health of the planet. So, say thank you to the next bike you see tethered to an urban lamp post. [2017]

South Bound Brook, New Jersey, USA

There he goes, pedaling off into the future. Lost: never. Ultracautious: never. Courageous: always. Adventurous: always. Sensible: we'll see. And, at four years into it, he repeats to himself a few lines from a great poet: "And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep." [2018]

Chesapeake, Virginia, USA

Would American Thanksgiving be celebrated differently if Ben Franklin had acted upon his fondness for the turkey: "For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country." The turkey, on the other hand, was seen by Franklin as a bird of courage. [2019]

Florence and Tucson, Arizona, USA

Isn't there something in your local environment that just begs to be artistically recreated? If you follow through on your creative instincts, the genius loci will be in your debt. You will have given them one more niche in which to reside. Genius loci? Spirits of place. [2018]

Webster, Massachusetts, USA

That's the longest place name in the United States (but names in Wales can be longer). Welcome to Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. The lake is right down that road. Better stock up at the plaza that bears its name before you venture too far from shore. Here is how the lake was marked over three decades ago. [2019]

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

What is repurposing? Giving something a new purpose or use. It is not hard to imagine repurposing an old bike to sell bikes! But why would you repurpose an old bike to sell wine? It would be far easier to use it as a garden ornament. [2009]

Portsmouth, England, UK

What is repurposing? Giving something a new purpose or use. Who would have guessed that bicycles could be re-purposed to sell wine? Who would have guessed that silos could be repurposed to provide homes. (Be sure to click on 'silos.') [2011]

Panama City, Panama

What is a skyscraper? A building with over 40 floors, also known as a "heaven scratchier" – rascacielos – in Spanish. Both the architectural form and the term were born in Chicago in the 1880s. Since then, both have spread around the world. Panama City has 52 skyscrapers, more than any other city in Latin America and more than any city in Europe. [2017]

Marina Bay, Republic of Singapore

The "welcoming hand" of Singapore is supposed to remind you of a lotus, one of the signature plants of Southeast Asia. It was opened in 2011 as the ArtScience Museum, the place where art meets science. Right across the garden: Singapore's downtown. [2016]

Marina Bay, Republic of Singapore

Singapore aspires to be more than a garden city. It aspires to be a city in a garden. Marina Bay, at the mouth of the Singapore River, epitomizes that goal. And, since world city status requires superlative achievements, Singapore has built the largest glass greenhouses in the world: the flower dome and the cloud forest. On the horizon: Singapore Strait. [2016]

Marina Bay, Republic of Singapore

Singapore's goal is to become a world city on par with Tokyo. It is already the highest ranking world city in Southeast Asia. To be taken seriously, a world city must dress to impress, which is exactly what Singapore has been doing in the Marina Bay area since 2005. Are you impressed with the Helix Bridge? the towers of the Marina Bay Sands? [2016]

Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Gabrovo's past and Gabrovo's future is here revealed in a single snap. The past? The city was founded in the 1400s by an itinerant blacksmith who wanted to settle down. The future? The city was visited in the 2000s by a flock of cranes who wanted to lift it up. The blacksmith makes several appearances on Gabrovo's landscape. [2014]

Moorish Castle Estate, Gibraltar

You know what's coming when you see a building crane on the horizon: Progress! That means more reaching for the sky. If you are Gibraltar, you can't go horizontal, so you go vertical. The downside: Any vertical development changes the viewshed. What elements of the landscape suffer most? Remnants of the past, such as this Moorish castle. [2015]

Pas de la Casa, Andorra

It is almost as if the tower crane has been moved in to build the mountains, in this case, the Pyrenees. But, in reality, it is the passage into France that needs to up-size. The town of Pas de la Casa seems to have graduated into the "big 'n tall" department. [2005]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

What lies beneath the Oklahoma state capitol? The cultural landscape offers a hint: oil. That used to be a working oil derrick. Now, it symbolizes one of the state's chief revenue sources. As for the capitol: it gained a dome in 2002. (Note to self: must return to see it.) Happy 102nd birthday, Oklahoma. [1988]

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

When quotes appear on the landscape, literature becomes public art and contributes to the spirit of place. Wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "And this song of the vine, this greeting of mine, the winds and birds shall deliver to the queen of the west, in her garlands dressed, on the banks of the beautiful river." [2019]

Denver, Colorado, USA

When quotes appear on the landscape, literature becomes public art and contributes to the spirit of place. Wrote Jack Kerouac: "Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you're already in heaven now." [2019]

Loveland, Colorado, USA

This love offering not only greets you on your way into Loveland, it also sets the stage for the annual sweetheart festival. Bring your sweetheart and a love-inscribed pad lock, and you can add your names to the letters' backside. The two other sculptures on the site are totally forgettable, but one provides an orifice for framing. [2019]

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Public art or private art? It's on private property but it is visible to the public. Professional art or vernacular art? Vernacular art affixed to the landscape by a professional knitter. Yarn bomb or sock bomb? One of each. Or, is it a scarf bomb? Either way, you probably got some new ideas for your own trees. [2019]

Arlington, Virginia, USA

Six Marines raise the flag on Iwo Jima. Six young men stroll past in casual formation: Do they understand the sacrifices their grandparents' generation made to afford them a continuing legacy of freedom and opportunity? Today may be Veterans Day, but all year long we hear these words directed at those in uniform: "Thank you for your service." [2016]

Steubenville, Ohio, USA

That's no way to treat anyone who has been deemed a Living Legend and has his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Rather, on this 50th anniversary of Sesame Street, we ought to be honoring all of the original characters, including Big Bird. Not only does he make us think about how we want to live life, he is also super smart: He speaks 70 languages! [1996]

Portland, Maine, USA

Thirty years ago the Berlin Wall came down: "Forget not the tyranny of this wall - horrid place. Nor the love of freedom that made it fall - "Laid Waste..." After the fall, pieces of the wall found homes in towns and cities around the world. [1992]

Hancock, Massachusetts, USA

Self-sufficiency was a goal of Shaker communities everywhere. Fields were planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. In between, a battalion of scarecrows were dispatched to ward off hungry birds. By summer's end (the day we celebrate as Halloween) the scarecrow's job was done and retirement was upon him. [2019]

Hancock, Massachusetts, USA

What the Round Barn tells us about the Shakers: (1) They were lovers of innovation: Round promoted easy in-and-out flows. (2) They were egalitarian: Round meant no one ever brought up the rear. (3) They were true believers: Round meant life was without beginning or end. (4) They were asexual: Round meant they were never tempted by dark corners. [2019]

Hancock, Massachusetts, USA

They were communal, egalitarian, pacifist, non-trinitarian, and non-sexual. Their village in Hancock was founded in 1870, flourished in the mid-19th century, and lasted until 1960. They were the Shakers, an off-shoot (not surprisingly, given their name) of the Quakers. The building here that looks like a college dorm served as their sex-segregated living quarters. [2019]

Lexington, Massachusetts, USA

It's an off-year election, but the polls are open for local races from Selectmen in Massachusetts to prothonotaries in Pennsylvania to Chosen Freeholders in New Jersey to Soil and Water Supervisors in Minnesota to Police Jurors in Louisiana to school board members everywhere. So, delay no longer: Go Vote! [2010]

Buford, Wyoming, USA

Buford may be the nation's smallest town, but it has competition: Bust, Colorado. May the future of Buford be as bright as Bust's! The current score, though, is Buford 0 and Bust 2. Yes, Buford has dropped to zero residents, but Bust's growth proves there is hope. [2013]

New York, New York, USA

Plate collecting is a major hobby in the U.S., and the Hell's Kitchen flea market looks like the place to go if you are on the lookout for New York plates. These pre-date the vanity era, but don't you love the tiny maps of the Empire State that are pretending to be hyphens? [2017]

Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, USA

All Souls' Day marks the end of Hallowtide. Yesterday was All Saints' Day. What's the difference? For Roman Catholics, the difference is hard to understand for those outside the tradition. For Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans, there is no difference, but on the morrow, there will be prayers for congregants who have passed away over the past year. [2018]

Talpin, New Mexico, USA

Today is Hallowmas, a day to honor all saints now in heaven. To that end, families may spend part of the day in cemeteries, even small ones like the Nuestra Senora del Carmen Cemetery. Some cemeteries are locked at 5 pm, though, and, a few years ago, Geographically Yours had to call the local police department to unlock the gates and let him out! [2017]