I kind of agree everyone I know who used to be goth is not totally into steam punk. Though they discover gears and history as well, when they find brown.
Radtke is an idiot. I understand that he wanted to make the streets look nicer but how does a giant blob of gray look better than a work of art. I would understand if they were vulgar works that he was covering up but really how does blocking the local's expression help anyone. I would much rather live in a place filled with artistic collaboration than world of oppressive gray-ness.
I don't think artists have a real concept of the repercussions of actions. I thin the environment was just an afterthought with this and is more a way to make the city look 'greener'. However, from every comment above mine it seems obvious to everyone, but the artist and his funding, that this is a bad idea in most every way. Fuel consumption, structural fail, maintenance, excess pollution and not to mention possibility of injury; what if debris falls off the top and smacks into a biker or flies into a windshield.
I cant remember where, but I heard of a place where people with skin conditions can go sit in a communal bath and have the affected areas treated by blood sucking fish (or swimming creature). Apparently, the blood sucking decreases inflammation and the saliva calms the area.
or how about you don't keep your superglue next to your eye drops. It's like not keeping your hemorrhoid cream next to your toothpaste or your rice next to your bowl of maggots.