diverted waste heat from its power plant into pipes that run under streets and sidewalks in the central business district. … no matter how cold it gets, the sidewalks stay clear and dry, all because someone was thoughtful enough to use an industrial by-product that other towns blithely discarded. … kept downtown Holland alive, even as towns of similar size have been decimated, with shops decamping to nearby malls.
A gas-powered hearth rises up from the sidewalk … On cold days, people gather around it, just as they do around a fireplace. These al fresco get-togethers build community spirit … The low walls built up around the fireplace invite people can sit, stay, and chat. I watch as my neighbors relax into the moment, catch each other’s eyes and have real conversations—that much-coveted face-time we all long for today.
