New York City funds subway art using construction budgets

The New York City subway system doubles as a massive public gallery through a funding mandate that links infrastructure to aesthetics. Whenever the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) renovates a station, the agency is required to set aside one percent of the total project budget for a permanent art installation. This policy has transformed the transit network into a museum for millions of daily commuters, featuring works by icons such as Yoko Ono and Roy Lichtenstein.