I came across this amazing collection of photos, Earth from Above, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, a French photographer, journalist, and environmentalist. The whole collection is worth taking some time to scan through. I was most struck by the images that portray such a diversity of the ways people around the world live together in neighborhoods. I know I'm straining the definition a suburb by some of the settings that are closer to city centers, but I think it's a helpful designation for taking in the contrasts. Here are my favorites. Some of the questions these photos provoke for me are: What do these images say about the ways we relate? How do they reflect our social networks? What do they say about our relationship to the natural environment? How dependent are these neighborhoods on fossil fuels?
Copenhagen Suburb, Denmark
Egyptian Suburb, Mit Gahmr Delta
(The large cone structures are pigeon homes. Like Egyptian chickens coops?)
Cape Town Suburb, South Africa
Lagos Houseboat Suburb, Nigeria
It's always creeped me out flying into LAX and seeing those bacteria strains all over the place.
Posted by: Keith | February 08, 2011 at 06:04 AM