For better or worse, cities mimic each other, making replicas of great landmarks down to unique light fixtures. The Infrastructurist selects top 5 cities that do the job well. Not surprisingly, Shanghai earns the title as the hallmark of knock-offs.
Ranked at No. 5 is the Rabbit Island, Michigan. Alexa Miller writes, "Manhattan native Rob Gorski proved you can buy just about anything off of Craigslist - he used the site to purchase a deserted Michigan island. At the time, Rabbit Island was 91 acres of undisturbed terrain, but Gorski has big plans for its future - he wanted to create an artist residency that mimicked the island of Manhattan."
Also on the list are Lyon, Dubai; Las Vegas, Nev.; Leavenworth, Wash.; and Thames Town, Shanghai.
Convincing as they may be on the surface, these replicas prove that - like food and fashion - nothing beats the original.
FULL STORY: 5 Cities That Are Ripoffs of Other Cities
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research