Make America Beautiful Again

Can you call America a beautiful country? I think it’s more beautiful than many other places in the world.

It definitely has beautiful parts. From a geographical stand point the USA is unambiguously one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Consider the Rockies in Colorado, the Badlands of South Dakota, the dense Everglades in Florida. Venture through the Mojave in Arizona, the vast Great Lakes, or escape entirely to California, Alaska, Hawaii. The coasts touch both the Pacific and Atlantic, offering endless vistas.

Even the often-overlooked Ohio and Kentucky have understated charm. Driving Nebraska's great plains remains one of my most vivid experiences. And then there's the iconic American landscapes: the Smokies, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, Niagara Falls, the Bayou.

But southern Utah? It may be my personal favorite. Stretching down to the northern rim of the Grand Canyon, it's possibly the pinnacle of American beauty.

But generally, too much of America is marred by strip malls, parking lots, and areas designed for driving through than for enjoying.

What Makes America Ugly?

We've abandoned beauty and now prioritize for efficiency and functionality—areas where America dominates. You can buy anything, anywhere, anytime. It’s a trade-off. Beauty for convenience.

1) Consider the Strip Mall

The quintessential American architectural experience for many on a daily basis. In American culture, the strip mall often draws derision, epitomizing the tacky postwar suburbia and the disposable culture it fostered. Often labeled as ugly and tacky, strip malls lack charm, elegance, or distinctive architectural features. They stand as generic, expendable backdrops.

2) New Urban Condos Look the Same

Many American cities hold beauty, but that's a legacy from times past when public aesthetics mattered. Today, new constructions are visually unappealing and graceless, with a sameness that erases any local architectural identity.

3) America is Filled with Stroads

Stroads merge the worst features of streets and roads, resulting in a confused, identity-lacking design. They aim to accommodate both fast traffic and local access, failing to excel at either. The lack of cohesive design not only makes them functionally problematic but also visually unappealing.

4) America is an Inside Culture

One of America's issues is its indoor-centric lifestyle — people spend their time inside homes, cars, offices, or malls. In contrast, Japan emphasizes living outdoors, with public spaces designed to offer both adventure and comfort.

Most Americans are an inside people. Not outside.

This means public spaces aren't valued for beauty—we simply overlook them. In contrast, our homes shine; we're obsessed with updating kitchens, constantly enhancing our private sanctuaries.

There is Hope

But a recent video inspired me: we don't have to give up. We can work to restore America's beauty, and it won't cost trillions to do it.

We've stopped beautifying highways, strip malls, and the spaces in between where we travel. I believe this is a mistake. We spend considerable time in public and shouldn't just view it as time to "get somewhere else."

There are affordable methods to enhance the beauty of our public spaces now. We won't recreate the splendid cities of yesteryear, nor will we dismantle the US highway system or demolish the suburbs.

Instead, we must integrate beauty into our current surroundings. Fortunately, technology is on our side to aid in this transformation.

In This Newsletter

1) Put Beautiful Sculptures Everywhere: Place captivating sculptures in strip malls, parking lots, and other under-decorated areas to enhance their aesthetic appeal.

2) The Case for Returning Street Lights to an Orange Color. Modern LED streetlights emit a harsh white light, robbing the night of its enchantment. Advocates for visual elegance are pushing to return street lights to the cozy, amber radiance of traditional bulbs, aiming to recapture an inviting and visually appealing ambiance.

3) Vertical Gardens and Green Walls: Use vertical gardens as barriers and noise reducers along highways. These gardens not only cut down on pollutants and noise but also transform bland stretches of road into vibrant green spaces.

Put Beautiful Sculptures Everywhere

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