London is set to get a new bridge, after Mayor Boris Johnson approved plans for a controversial footbridge. The planned bridge will be dotted with plants and trees, and will link the Temple area on the north bank of the Thames with South Bank between Blackfriars and the National Theater. Critics of the £175 million ($275 million) bridge say it's more about attracting tourists than providing real infrastructure, and that the money could be better spent on other needed projects. They also say it costs 5 to 10 times what a footbridge should cost, thanks in part to copper cladding.

Tags: London