Good news for city leaders looking for different ideas.

According to Marcia Caines, in this blog, the design trend at the recent International DMY Design Festival in Berlin was greater emphasis on “public space, recycling, re-use and open source technologies”, which she sees… more

New York Times Magazine tomorrow is all about infrastructure.  The Infrastructurist has the Cliff Notes.

You have to love this idea.  Reconnecting America is staging a 1400-mile rolling salon on the California Zephyr from San Francisco to Denver, site of CNU's annual gathering.  Robert Davis, visionary founder and developer of Seaside, Florida (and all around nice guy), will be a featured host… more

Do you know Paju Bookcity?  I didn't until I found Dana Cho's lovely blog, Goodspace, devoted to design and innovation. 

Am I the only one who would think I had died and gone to heaven if I lived in Bookcity?  Ok, maybe it's close to a theme park… more

Today's Washington Post has a good analysis of Frank Gehry's latest work, the Princeton Library and the addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. 

Danish architect Jørn Utzon, designer of the Sydney Opera House, died today at the age 90.  The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.  And it does not disappoint in person or up close.  It is a marvel.

Utzon designed the opera house in… more

The conversations at the Chicago Humanities Festival are always a pleasure.  Last weekend, I heard Saskia Sassen (she of Global City fame), her husband and author Richard Sennett (power couple extraordinaire), Ricky Burdett of Urban Age and Philip Enquist, SOM partner in charge of Urban Design… more

Like all South African cities, Cape Town is a city with a complicated history.  But the city’s natural setting is breathtaking.  Its central district declined along with most other cities, but, under the leadership of Andrew Boraine, Chief Executive of the Cape Town Partnership and former city manager, it… more

That's the theme for this year's Designboost to be held in Malmo October 15-17.  Learn more here.

Yesterday, I visited with Aly Khalifa and his partner Beth (and dog Angus) in their DesignBox offices in Raleigh, NC.  Aly is my new Starfish guru, the man who with colleagues created the open source potluck festival, SparkCon.  Aly explained the concept behind DesignBox.

For more… more

Roanoke, VA is putting America’s best designers to work for its city.

Through the Urban Effect 2008 Design Competition, designers are asked to “explore the city's potential by creating unique urban and architectural designs that enhance the best qualities of Roanoke and create positive impact on three… more

When the economic development strategy says "grow an industry cluster," some puzzle over how that's really done. Here's one insider's view from the LA Design Scene... "When I got here 10 years ago it seemed particularly slow. Mind you, I wasn't in the 'know' but having dated [ex-girlfriend] for those… more

GOOD Design Challenge Designers Announced

Three superstars from the world of design will join us in San Diego to present their solutions to three big civic challenges submitted by CEOs for Cities network partners. They are:

• Scott Stowell, winner of the 2008… more

Harriet Tregoning, head of the D.C. Office of Planning shares her insights on ways that cities can begin to think about capturing the Green Dividend.

Suburban Nation co-author and former NEA Design Director Jeff Speck talks about how to achieve the Green Dividend at a recent meeting of CEOs for Cities network partners.  Jeff is an urban planner based in D.C.