50 amazing new public-space transformations captured by Google Street View

A parking lot becomes a park. A crosswalk gets the cobblestone treatment, and a sidewalk stretches just a few yards.

In the life of a pedestrian, these changes — big and small — make all the difference.

In 2015, a Brazilian urban planning collective called Urb-i (shorthand for Urban Ideas) set out to show examples of people-friendly public spaces with an inspiring before-and-after gallery of Google Street View images revealing the most stunning transformations from around the world.

The gallery got a makeover in the last few month with a series of new before-and-afters, as well as a number of new features, including photos divided by country and a map so users can zoom in on transformations. Take a look at some of our favorite new before-and-after photos.

We are a society "addicted to cars," according to the four young founders of Urb-i.

Yuval Fogelson, Carolina Guido, Fernanda Mercês, and Rodolfo Macedo founded Urb-i in 2015.

Traffic lanes and parking take precedent over green spaces and outdoor seating. People traveling on foot are quarantined to tiny sidewalks.

It just doesn't seem fair. Fortunately, the founders of Urb-i have an addiction of their own ...