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Some photos draw you in and don’t want to let you go, so you spend entire minutes (that feel like small eternities) sitting transfixed, with your eyes on the screen. That’s exactly the feeling we get when we look at the pics featured on this subreddit that’s entirely dedicated to showing off the beauty of infrastructure. After all, (and let’s be cheesy here for a moment) infrastructure doesn’t just connect us together physically—it also connects our hearts through the mutual adoration of aesthetics.

And while the internet watchdogs might censor the full name of this particular online community, what they can’t hide is the love that we feel for beautiful and artistic photos. We’ve collected some of the best photos from the ‘Infrastructure’ subreddit, the home to nearly 225k members, for you to enjoy. So scroll down, upvote your fave photos, and let us know if these images have seduced you away from your (and my) true love—cute cat pics.

According to anthropologist Margaret Mead, however, the first sign of civilization in a culture isn't something that we make (like fishhooks or clay pots); it's how we act towards others. Specifically, our compassion.

I had a chat about infrastructure challenges and problems with an expert from Sweden with a background in urban planning who preferred to remain anonymous because of the sensitive nature of her work. She told Bored Panda that these challenges depend on whether or not we're looking to build an entirely new settlement or expand the infrastructure of an existing city. What's more, the expert touched upon the fact that we should keep in mind the balance between service reach and health risk factors such as pollution, and how the focus on car-centric infrastructure in the United States and Canada can be seen as a failure. Read on for the full interview.

#1

A1 Highway Ecoduct, The Veluwe, Netherlands

A1 Highway Ecoduct, The Veluwe, Netherlands

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#2

Aqueduct Veluwemeer, Netherlands

Aqueduct Veluwemeer, Netherlands

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#3

Holland, Michigan's Downtown Has Heated Streets And Sidewalks That Melt Snow And Ice. The System Utilizes Wastewater From A Nearby Power Plant Which Circulates Through 120 Miles Of Plastic Piping Underneath The Pavement. It Can Melt An Inch Of Snow An Hour Even At 20 Degrees Fahrenheit

Holland, Michigan's Downtown Has Heated Streets And Sidewalks That Melt Snow And Ice. The System Utilizes Wastewater From A Nearby Power Plant Which Circulates Through 120 Miles Of Plastic Piping Underneath The Pavement. It Can Melt An Inch Of Snow An Hour Even At 20 Degrees Fahrenheit

kernals12 Report

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Pamela24
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's so cool! Reminds me how in Prague there is a swimming pool built close to the national Czech TV. They built them in a similar time and connected those two. Now the water for the pool is being heated by the excessive heat that the TV studios produce and those studios are cooled down by the cold water from the swimming pool. It's genius.

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According to the urban planning expert, the challenges that people face when building a new city include finding the right placement for the infrastructure, from large roads and power lines to power plants, water treatment plants, and more. The expert pointed out that it's all a balancing game where you have to place the infrastructure close enough to residential areas to increase the service reach, yet also keep it as far away as possible to reduce pollution, noise, and other factors that can cause health risks.

"The challenges associated with developing infrastructure for an existing city are similar yet even more complicated because an agreement is necessary with already-established residents. With all the aforementioned health factors, naturally, no one would be happy about hosting a facility nearby," the expert told Bored Panda.

"Technical problems, such as the quality of the soil and urban density of an area, are always challenging for laying pipes and cables required for services such as electricity, fiber optic internet, heating, sewerage, water, etc. Developing infrastructure often poses a challenge of balancing the installment and laying cost against the longevity and life cycle cost."

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#4

Skytrain Inside Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore

Skytrain Inside Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore

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Eva the Egg
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been here before, there are restaurants down below this and upstairs there are indoor playground for kids, the whole experience there is breathtaking!

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#6

A Cell Phone Tower Disguised As Cactus

A Cell Phone Tower Disguised As Cactus

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The Swedish urban planning expert highlighted to Bored Panda a couple of examples of what badly-designed infrastructure looks like: freeways and stroads (no, no, that's not a typo! Stroads are roads that are too wide and fast to be safe for pedestrian safety and too narrow and slow for efficient car movement). "It’s a widely accepted fact that the late 20th-century approach to mobility, mostly realized in North America, roads being catered to cars and not people, has been a great failure," she said.

"It is completely detrimental to the vibrancy of city life, as wide and sidewalk-less freeways, and so-called stroads, make walking impossible as a means of travel from A to B around the urban area," she pointed out that this also negatively affects other modes of transportation like biking or using public transport. What's more, this leads to the overuse of private vehicles and increases safety risks.

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#8

Ecoducts, Railway, Highway, Roads, Walkways... In Breda, The Netherlands

Ecoducts, Railway, Highway, Roads, Walkways... In Breda, The Netherlands

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Brian Bennett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just love the way nature and progress are combined great forward thinkers looking back to nature.

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#9

Shalu Leisure Landscape Trail, Taichung, Taiwan

Shalu Leisure Landscape Trail, Taichung, Taiwan

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Martha Meyer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a nice idea to turn the ugly underside of an elevated highway into something more tolerable.

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Anthropologist Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a thighbone that had healed after being broken. That's because it shows that somebody stayed together with the person who broke their femur and helped them recover. In Mead's opinion, civilization starts there because it shows the contrast between human beings and the rest of the animal kingdom which lives by the law of the jungle where it's survival of the fittest all the way through.

That's not to say that animals aren't compassionate toward each other (they are), but it takes around six weeks of rest for a femur to heal without modern medicine and that's a very long time to spend with a wounded member of the pack who can't feed itself, contribute to the group, or protect itself from predators.

#11

A Partial View Of The 30km Long Houtribdijk Dam In The Netherlands. Again, Leave It To The Dutch!

A Partial View Of The 30km Long Houtribdijk Dam In The Netherlands. Again, Leave It To The Dutch!

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#12

A Village Settlement In Denmark

A Village Settlement In Denmark

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The ‘Infrastructure’ subreddit, founded way back in 2011, is exclusively dedicated to (yup, you guessed it) pictures of infrastructure. From paved roads and other public transit to agriculture, freight, waste management, and water systems. And far more!

You’ve got bridges and tunnels! Sewers and electrical grids! Telecommunications and all the other physical interconnected systems that improve our lives.

Infrastructure encompasses all the marvels of human ingenuity and engineering that make living life far easier and all the things that we really don’t want to do without. Infrastructure is what keeps us worrying about first-world problems instead of how we’ll get water today when the local spring is ten miles away and goes through a pitch-black forest full of hungry wolves.

#13

Northern Lights From The Top Of The Mackinac Bridge

Northern Lights From The Top Of The Mackinac Bridge

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Friday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So breathtaking! It’s my dream to see the Northern lights one day 🤞

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#15

Subsea Undergroundabout, Faroe Islands

Subsea Undergroundabout, Faroe Islands

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Friday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’d be distracted by how pretty it looks and probably run up the back of someone

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The more you think about it, the more the term ‘infrastructure’ seems to touch. So while we’ve got hard infrastructure that we can touch and physically use like roads, we’ve also got soft infrastructure that isn’t as tangible but is still vital to the health and welfare of any local community.

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Some examples of soft infrastructure can include our network of institutions that are responsible for our economy, public health, social order, and cultural standards. From law enforcement and emergency services to educational programs and even… parks and recreational facilities! These might be far harder to take a photo of, but they’re still essential to civilization. After all, roads and streets mean nothing if you don’t have people working to help each other in whatever way they can best apply their particular set of skills.

#16

Dudhasagar Falls (Sea Of Milk), Goa, India

Dudhasagar Falls (Sea Of Milk), Goa, India

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#17

The Delta Works In The Netherlands, Consisting Of 13 Parts, Together Form The Largest Storm Surge Barrier In The World And Was Declared One Of The Seven Wonders Of The Modern World By The American Society Of Civil Engineers

The Delta Works In The Netherlands, Consisting Of 13 Parts, Together Form The Largest Storm Surge Barrier In The World And Was Declared One Of The Seven Wonders Of The Modern World By The American Society Of Civil Engineers

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Fred Van Der Zee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The nice thing is that, instead of building solid dykes, they uses sluices and storm surge barriers that can open, to preserve the natural habitat.

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#18

Saint Petersburg Metro, Russia

Saint Petersburg Metro, Russia

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#19

Another Scale Of Infrastructure, These Salmon Stairs In Sweden

Another Scale Of Infrastructure, These Salmon Stairs In Sweden

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#20

Electric Elevated Railway (Suspension Railway) , Wuppertal, Germany

Electric Elevated Railway (Suspension Railway) , Wuppertal, Germany

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Pamela24
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Been there twice, literally one of my favourite places in the world. So much fun for my public-transport-obsessed self!

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#21

Cykelslangen (The Bicycle Snake), Copenhagen, Denmark

Cykelslangen (The Bicycle Snake), Copenhagen, Denmark

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#23

Project Engineers Demonstrating The Cantilever Principles Of The Forth Bridge In Scotland, 1887

Project Engineers Demonstrating The Cantilever Principles Of The Forth Bridge In Scotland, 1887

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#24

Three Undergound Metro Lines Crossing Eachother At The Place De L'opéra In Paris

Three Undergound Metro Lines Crossing Eachother At The Place De L'opéra In Paris

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#25

Brutalist Flats In Camden, London

Brutalist Flats In Camden, London

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Aunt Messy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's clever design. Every unit gets sunlight for at least half the day - no towers blocking the sun. the pedway in the middle makes the sidewalk area safe for kids - no cars charging around. It looks like all of the units have good air flow as well, plus no one is sucking in car exhaust when they open their windows.

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Seán Baron
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These flats are amazing. They're Council housing, so you don't need to sell half of your internal organs for them, the waiting list get into a flat is about 30 years, and yes, they're very nice inside, but because they're such iconic buildings, they're really nice outside. Especially as pretty much every balcony has plants in them.

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Dynein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only defense I've heard about brutalist aesthetics is that the buildings are nicer on the inside.... I mean, there's plenty disagreements about what looks nice and what doesn't, but if even the supporters of a style don't consider it something they'd want to have on the inside of their home, why subject people to the sight at all...???

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Bill Anderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sadly, a crime hotspot due to the maze-like design of the whole estate. Not a place to walk at night.a million escape routes for criminals and a policing nightmare...

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Stephen Lyford
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some scenes from "The Kingsmen" were filmed here, or at one just like it.

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Sharon Dean
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't this the housing that was used in a Prime Suspect episode on KPBS??? With Helen Mirren?????

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Dylan Cameron
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Brutalism works best in large scale buildings. It can preview a sense of introspection and awe. In small UK home... Not so much... 😬

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Suzy the observer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree. It would make an ugly home but works well in public scapes. The exception is, of course, Habitat 67 in Montréal.

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Stephen Solar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the grey stone that depresses this scene, if the banks were coloured it would be a joy.

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Stephen Solar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the grey stone that spoils this, if the banks were coloured it would be a joy.

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Grace Note
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these flats and would love to live in one. The interiors are really well designed too.

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Linda Robinett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Brutalism is ugly but practical. I like how the fact that each building has a garden to lighten up the industrial look.Note the colorful umbrella in one.

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Lynne Stankard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Call this Brutalist? You should see the ones that just go straight up without a blade of grass or a tree to be seen!

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Unaffected
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fun fact - In 2014, the estate was used as a setting for the hit spy film Kingsman: The Secret Service

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Mary Hayden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like one of the filming locations for The Little Drummer Girl

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G.T. van Middendorp
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The whole point of brutalist architecture is that it's not painted. It shows the raw building materials in a minimalist way. Function over esthetics.

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Becky Samuel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dream on. These flats are very highly sought-after in a central location in one of the most expensive real estate cities in the world.

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#26

Gordon Dam In Tasmania, Australia

Gordon Dam In Tasmania, Australia

13frodo Report

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Donkey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The bottom part of the pic makes it look like a rollercoaster goes down it!

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#27

Botanical Garden In Madrid Atocha Train Statino

Botanical Garden In Madrid Atocha Train Statino

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Marcellus the Third
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the disused Atocha terminal, not the 90s modern one that's in use. This is all shops and bars.

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#28

Roundabout And Bicycle Bridge In The Netherlands

Roundabout And Bicycle Bridge In The Netherlands

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in the Netherlands, several people said "Oh, you should rent a car and drive out into the countryside!". Looking at this makes me SO glad I didn't! Awesome photo, and I have no clue where the cars are supposed to go.

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#31

Solar Power Plants In The United States Photographed By Bernhard Lang

Solar Power Plants In The United States Photographed By Bernhard Lang

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When traveled through the countryside of Chile, we came to a valley that seemed to be filled with a large reflective lake. But I quickly noticed that the lake bent upwards at the edges... and it wasn't a lake, it was a massive solar farm! One so big it seemed to fill the entire mountain valley. The US has some catching up to do.

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#32

The Beipanjiang Bridge, Spanning The Nizhu River In China At A Height Of 565 Metres

The Beipanjiang Bridge, Spanning The Nizhu River In China At A Height Of 565 Metres

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#34

My Developing Country Of Georgia Has Been Renewing Its 20th Century Rust Oven Fleet, With An Armada Of Brand New Electric Buses. Pedestrian Life Just Got Easier

My Developing Country Of Georgia Has Been Renewing Its 20th Century Rust Oven Fleet, With An Armada Of Brand New Electric Buses. Pedestrian Life Just Got Easier

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#35

The Tuned Mass Damper Of Taipei 101 Skyscraper. A Tuned Mass Damper Is A Device Mounted In Structures To Reduce The Amplitude Of Mechanical Vibrations. Their Application Can Prevent Discomfort, Damage, Or Outright Structural Failure

The Tuned Mass Damper Of Taipei 101 Skyscraper. A Tuned Mass Damper Is A Device Mounted In Structures To Reduce The Amplitude Of Mechanical Vibrations. Their Application Can Prevent Discomfort, Damage, Or Outright Structural Failure

_SP3CT3R Report

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Dynein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rather ingenious, though really a very simple concept - it's a heavy weight at the base of the tower, which suspended by ropes attached to the upper part of the building. If the tower sways to one side, the weight will still point straight downwards and basically pull the top of the building back up.

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Note: this post originally had 152 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.