diff --git a/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/app.py b/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/app.py
index 9a1281ac..4a077097 100644
--- a/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/app.py
+++ b/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/app.py
@@ -1,10 +1,27 @@
 from mesa.visualization import SolaraViz, make_plot_component, make_space_component
 from model import GameOfLifeModel
 
+
+def cell_portrayal(agent):
+    if agent is None:
+        return
+
+    #
+    x, y = agent.pos
+    is_alive = agent.model.cell_layer.data[x, y]
+
+    return {
+        # If alive Black, If dead White
+        "color": "black" if is_alive else "white",
+        "size": 50,  # 50 fills the cell completely
+        "marker": "s",  # square shape
+    }
+
+
 propertylayer_portrayal = {
     "cell_layer": {
-        "color": "Black",
-        "alpha": 1,
+        "color": "Cyan",
+        "alpha": "cell_layer",
         "colorbar": False,
     },
 }
@@ -37,8 +54,8 @@
 }
 
 gol = GameOfLifeModel()
+layer_viz = make_space_component(agent_portrayal=cell_portrayal, draw_grid=False)
 
-layer_viz = make_space_component(propertylayer_portrayal=propertylayer_portrayal)
 TotalAlivePlot = make_plot_component("Cells alive")
 
 page = SolaraViz(
diff --git a/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/model.py b/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/model.py
index 40499b64..ff8b0efb 100644
--- a/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/model.py
+++ b/examples/conways_game_of_life_fast/model.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import numpy as np
-from mesa import Model
+from mesa import Agent, Model
 from mesa.datacollection import DataCollector
-from mesa.space import PropertyLayer
+from mesa.space import PropertyLayer, SingleGrid
 from scipy.signal import convolve2d
 
 
@@ -10,9 +10,20 @@ class GameOfLifeModel(Model):
     def __init__(self, width=10, height=10, alive_fraction=0.2):
         super().__init__()
         # Initialize the property layer for cell states
-        self.cell_layer = PropertyLayer("cells", width, height, False, dtype=bool)
-        # Randomly set cells to alive
-        self.cell_layer.data = np.random.choice([True, False], size=(width, height), p=[alive_fraction, 1 - alive_fraction])
+
+        self.grid = SingleGrid(width, height, torus=True)
+
+
+        self.cell_layer = PropertyLayer("cell_layer", width, height, False, dtype=bool)
+        self.cell_layer.data = np.random.choice(
+            [True, False],
+            size=(width, height),
+            p=[alive_fraction, 1 - alive_fraction]
+        )
+
+        for _, (x, y) in self.grid.coord_iter():
+            dummy = Agent(self)
+            self.grid.place_agent(dummy, (x, y))
 
         # Metrics and datacollector
         self.cells = width * height
diff --git a/gis/urban_growth/app.py b/gis/urban_growth/app.py
index 68a4bc97..337e15ef 100644
--- a/gis/urban_growth/app.py
+++ b/gis/urban_growth/app.py
@@ -31,10 +31,13 @@ def make_plot_urbanized(model):
 }
 
 model = UrbanGrowth()
+map_component = make_geospace_component(cell_portrayal, zoom=12.1)
+
+# explicitly pass components=
 page = SolaraViz(
     model,
-    [
-        make_geospace_component(cell_portrayal, zoom=12.1),
+    components=[
+        map_component,
         make_plot_component(["Percentage Urbanized"]),
         make_plot_urbanized,
     ],