New Harmony, Indiana, USA

Window washing cranes have become almost ubiquitous. They are perfect for Main Street communities where the high-rises are not very high. Plus, they are useful for all kinds of building upkeep. And, it seems like everybody who walks by wants a ride. Compare with scaffolding. [2022]

St. George, Utah, USA

According to geographer James Parsons (Landscape 30:1/1988), most hillside letters "can be traced to a single decade, 1905-1915. They have almost always been built and maintained by college or high-school student groups." That's the case here. This D was created by students at Dixie Academy (now College) in 1915. [2019]

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Re-gilding the eagle begins tomorrow. Let's hope the last four years of lies, hate, perfidy, and sedition are an aberration in American history. And, let's remember that re-gilding begins at home, with each and every one of us. This American eagle watches over the Indiana state capitol. [2018]

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

"Own a piece of the sky."
Kiss the clouds as they fly by.
A condo on the 44th floor?
Only if you are not poor.
[2010]

St. George, Utah, USA

Where is the largest diamond in the world? On the roof of this Main Street jewelry store. What you are seeing is a heist in real time. That crane is being positioned to lift the behemoth right off its roost. After that it will be flown to Antwerp's Diamond District and turned into a million smaller diamonds. Or, maybe not. [2019]

Concord, New Hampshire, USA

That blue crane would be the perfect piece of equipment for (1) washing the windows on that apartment building, (2) re-gilding the New Hampshire state house dome, or (3) polishing the cross on top of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. [2018]

Milan, Italy

The clock tells 20th century time, and the building crane tells 21st century time. How could a building crane be a clock? The secret is in the definition of "gnomon": the upright piece on a sundial whose shadow tells the time. The green crane has an upright: a gnomon. It could be used to tell time. It isn't. But, it could be. [2008]

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]

London, England, UK

London and New York stay ahead of the game by making sure they are in a constant state of renewal. Both are 'global cities,' but only London is able to hold on to its past while allowing each upcoming generation to re-make the city using building cranes as their tools of choice. [2015]

London, England, UK

It's called encroachment. Encroachee? Fitzrovia. It's a central London neighborhood that Jane Jacobs would find much like Greenwich Village: (a) short blocks, (b) aged buildings, (c) mixed primary uses, and (d) high population densities. Anathema to her: single-purpose high-rises with all other uses zoned out. [2011]

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

There has been no more spirited architect than Antoni Gaudi. He may be gone, but his spirit remains behind in his creations. It is part of the genius loci of Catalonia. Gaudi's church of the Holy Family, under construction for well over 100 years, was proclaimed a minor basilica last year. Gaudi's genius has become the genius of Barcelona. [2005]