Houston’s first underground drinking water reservoir had been unused for years and was set for demolition when a nonprofit group reimagined it as something new: a public space.

The BeltLine is far more than a glorified sidewalk, with adjacent parks, space for future transit, and even some pretty spectacular art.

When Manhattan’s High Line opened on the west side in 2009, locals and visitors alike flocked to the revitalized railroad trestle to marvel at its transformation into a gorgeous and walkable park.

In Istanbul (formerly Constantinople and Byzantium) there is a 1,500-year-old Roman cistern built by the Emperor Justinian to supply water to his palace and city, a purpose it continued to serve into modern times.

There are hints of the High Line in one of the biggest civic projects endeavors in Seattle’s history.

A group of teens is studying air quality along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in an effort to get a new park built on top of the road, according to community organizers.