The Mountain Spire on Mount Inspire

I've heard many people dismiss cellphone towers out-of-hand as a blight on the landscape. I suppose that comes from the fact that most cell towers ARE a blight on the landscape.

Let's face it, an appeal to the aesthetic sensibilities of modern man is generally not very high on the priority list of those putting up said towers, and more likely not on the list at all.

But what if cell towers took on new life? A public observation deck, energy-producing wind turbines mounted to the frame, housing - I hesitate to say the possibilities are endless, but there are certainly a great many undeveloped opportunities.

Some existing towers, by virtue of interesting geometric framing, can be quite beautiful. Here and there, an effort is made to make a tower "more than a steel stick," but a decade into the new millennium, those occasions are rare. The next generation of towers will be characterized by a conscious effort to incorporate "elegance" into the design.

Single use towers may indeed someday be a thing of the past.