Art in transportation: A study of integrating art and aesthetic design into America's roadways and mass transit systems

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2013-05

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Abstract

It is the purpose of this research to chronicle the evolution of art, public art, and how it relates to modes of transportation. The current state of transportation in the United States has grown increasingly further away from artistic design and more toward engineering efficiency, leaving the Nation’s transportation corridors without character and identity. America’s roadway systems in correlation with art will be analyzed on three scales: highways and open roads, interchanges, and streets and arterials located in urban areas. It is found that four basic concepts contribute successful public art in a transportation setting: size, level of detail, functionality, and representation. Is the size of the artwork appropriate for the scale of the roadway or transit corridor? Does the artwork showcase the desired level of detail for the scale of the roadway or transit corridor so that the detail can be appreciated by the users and their corresponding speed? Does the artwork accomplish its purpose of increasing the aesthetics of the site while still retaining functionality? And finally, does the artwork appropriately represent the community in which it inhabits? By employing the four design principles: size, level of detail, functionality, and representation to future transportation projects more artistic and unique designs can be created with public tax dollars and help to build successful public art projects.

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Keywords

Art, Public art, Transportation, Highways, Roadways, Mass transit

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