A street scene in Los Angeles, our first installment of IN THE PICTURE, taught us about the surprisingly perilous lives of arborists (killed at three times the rate of policemen and firefighters) and the success of a multi-year plan to coordinate the timing of L.A. traffic lights (resulting in a 12 percent average decrease in commute time for Angelenos). Mouse over each of the nine targets to learn more.

Photograph by Damon Casarez.