Care and Maintenance Instructions for Urban Infrastructure

Morgan Clendaniel reports on a Minneapolis artistic intervention, Urban Plant Tags, that call attention to often overlooked amenities in the built environment.

1 minute read

May 6, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By jerinbrent


Urban Plant Tags, a project of Minneapolis-based Carmichael Collective, are designed to look like oversized versions of the tags that accompany potted plants. These tags, however, are placed next to amenities such as street lights and park benches. Care instructions serve as a reminder that the infrastructure that populates your neighborhood doesn't take care of itself.

"Change light bulb annually", and "Occasionally wipe clean" are among the descriptions of care required. Clendaniel believes the tags serve as a creative reminder, while also connecting people to their neighborhood in a new way. From his point of view, "the project does help foster a sense that things like fire hydrants or stop signs don't simply sprout from the ground at random, and that to create a sense of place and community, we should all be a little mindful of what makes up the place where we live."

Thanks to Jessica Brent

Friday, May 4, 2012 in Fast Co.Exisit

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

6 hours ago - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

7 hours ago - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent