Citizens Crowdfund Bridge Construction When City Couldn't Pay

The Luchtsingel is a footbridge in Rotterdam (in the Netherlands) with two unusual attributes. One, it is all wood--17,000 individual planks. And two, it is funded by individual donations, not the city’s coffers. Each piece has someone’s name on it.

Conceived by a local design practice called Zones Urbaines Sensibles, the idea to reconnect a part of the city cut off by traffic. By making the area walkable again, the hope is to attract shops, restaurants, and small businesses to the area.