Urban Forest of the Day: An L.A. Billboard Made of Bamboo

Los Angeles-based artist Stephen Glassman wants to turn one of the city's roadside billboards (or several) into a skyhigh forest of bamboo, complete with a hydration system, climate monitors, and a Wifi connection to make that data available to the public.

"My intention is to put a crack in the urban skyline," Glassman says in the video on his Kickstarter page. "So that when people are compressed, squeezed, stuck in traffic, and they look up, they see an open space of fresh air that allows them to take a breath, feel themselves as humans, and conceive of what might be."

Courtesy of Summit Media, Glassman and his team already have the billboards on hand for "Urban Air," and they have raised $98,235 of their Kickstarter goal of $100,000, with four hours remaining. The money would go towards materials, permits, welders, fees, and other construction costs.