The East Coast Greenway is already a third of the way to completion, and when finished will stretch from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, passing through 16 states and 25 cities along the way.

Developed by the non-profit East Coast Greenway Alliance, the aim is to provide a continuous and ever-changing set of views and experiences to travelers on foot or in non-motorized vehicles.

Its creators note that the “route has been chosen to provide the traveler with an ever-changing, interesting and scenic landscape, whether urban, suburban, small town, industrial or rural,” accessible to cyclists, walkers, joggers and runners. Along the way, the Greenway also syncs up with public transportation at key spots, allowing easy access and egress for people seeking to pursue one stretch of it or another.

“It’s about seeing America at the right speed, where you can take in all of the culture around you. And you don’t have a windshield between yourself and the community.” While the project has been in the works for years, new funding and permissions gained in the last year have propelled it forward more quickly, helping its facilitators connect the dots along the nearly 3,000-mile route.

Well known for polarizing political artwork, the infamous street artist Banksy recently returned to the Middle East and filmed a short video about his new work while also commenting on the culture and conditions in a famously contentious place.

Regarding a cat mural created on this trip, he writes: “a local man came up and said ‘Please — what does this mean?’ I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website — but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.”

His snark knows few boundaries, if any, and is sure to spark global debate on multiple fronts: “Gaza is often described as ‘the world’s largest open air prison’ because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons — they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost every day.”

The title of the video below, “Make this the year YOU discover a new destination,” framed as a sort of satirical low-budget travel ad, speaks volumes about his opinions and intentions in revisiting Palestine, where he has worked previously and along similar lines (mainly on dividing walls in the West Bank).

Crossing into Gaza from the north generally requires Israeli permission, hence the tunnels as an alternative- there is no functioning airport, sea vessels are turned away by the blockade and land access is limited though possible through Egypt in the south. Some argue Banksy’s work is one-sided with regards to Israel and Palestine, ignoring the role of Hamas in the ongoing conflict that has rendered so much of Palestine into rubble, and this new series is sure to spark some serious conversations, arguments and debates.

It sounds like a conceptual design or science-fiction fantasy, but it is already under construction. Rising in the desert outside of Abu Dhabi, Masdar City will be the world’s most sustainable metropolis with no cars (or skyscrapers) allowed.

Instead of private personal automobiles, the public rapid transit system represents a shift from ‘mass’ to ‘mini’ in the form of small programmable multi-person vehicles – but that is just the beginning.

Solar, wind and geothermal sources will fuel the city – sun-powered desalination plants will provide fresh water for inhabitants, which will in turn be carefully recycled (as will other biological waste).

Practicing what it embodies on multiple levels, this new urban area aims to be the definitive regional hotpot for developing green energy and researching clean technology.

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has already been built and more structures are on the way. By 2025, the target population should be up to 50,000 within the walkable 2.3 square-mile perimeter currently planned for development.

The United Arab Emirates have long recognized the need to diversify their regional sources of revenue and develop self sufficiency outside of oil and conventional business – this comprehensive, ground-up urban design is the latest step along a new long-term path. The development is a project of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company and has been largely designed by Foster & Partners.