Many of the projects were small, community based projects aimed at concentrating money on payrolls and not materials. Countless cities around the nation still have sidewalks with a WPA imprint. Indeed, in its life span, the WPA paved 24,000 sidewalks around the country. Along with this achievement, it also constructed or repaired 40,000 buildings, 78,000 bridges, and 350 airports. Among its most famous utilitarian constructions are the LaGuardia Airport, Boston's Huntington Avenue Subway, and Chicago's Lake Shore Drive. Many water drainage and treatment facilities were also constructed under the WPA's programs, eventually leading to advances in technology in both these fields nad the improved quality of America's water. Other programs included the Rural Electrification and farm programs that brought electricity to more of Ameria's countryside as well as helped reconstruct damage to farmlands as a result of the Dust Bowl. These immense renovation and construction projects employed millions while giving America a face lift and some of our most cherished lansmarks.
Recreational construction was also a major aspect of the WPA's projects. Workers built public swimming pools, county fair grounds, and parks. The famous Lincoln Park was landscaped by WPA workers, as well as 8,000 others. These sorts of projects served to do more than just put food on the table of Americans. It served to provide cheap or free ways to enjoy life and raise the spirit of America. It sent the message that the United States might be down, but it was by no means out. Children would still play in the park down the street and families could still enjoy an afternoon out together. Community centers were built in the rural areas of the country and began to offer informative classes on child development, personal hygiene, and health services. These recreational facilities soon began to offer programs where the needy were actually the beneficiaries, such as child development, hygiene and health services.
