california lawmakers have voted to ban single-use plastic bags at supermarket checkout stands.
via Good [RK]
June 7th, 2010
remembering the life and work of the late Jeanne-Claude spoken by Paul Goldberger at a recent memorial service. [RK]
June 2nd, 2010
another perspective at ICFF this year. via design observer [RK]
May 27th, 2010
at request from senators bill nelson of florida and barbara boxer of california BP agreed this week to release all video footage of the spill. these videos will help scientist estimate the daily leakage. we can also see the progress of oil containment efforts. the spill is bad but the ocean is doing some of the heavy lifting to contain the damage. jane lubchenco, head of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration says that the spill could be swept up into the loop current, which curls around the florida peninsula. but by the time it reaches the florida straits, possibly eight to 12 days, “it would likely be significantly weathered and degraded as well as diluted. see the videos and more coverage at fastcompany. [RK]
May 19th, 2010
Kiran Bir Sethi is a designer, teacher, principal, advocate, and social entrepreneur. She comfortably uses the language of design — iteration, prototype, design specs — to develop not only curriculum innovation, but also community-based social programs. Now her “Design for Change Contest,” a recent child-focused initiative that swept India in 2009, is expanding globally posing the question: how could children be active citizens in Ahmedabad a city of 5.2 million inhabitants? full story — changeobserver [RK]
May 7th, 2010
A Portland initiative to redefine the methods used for achieving great design is seeking a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Called Design Excellence, it will create a ‘tool kit’ of resources to help community design sessions, as well as training sessions for public agencies and civic leaders on what constitutes good design. The initiative is an effort by the city of Portland and the American Institute of Architects Portland. [RK] via daily journal of commerce / oregon.
May 4th, 2010
The facts: 60 million rolls of toilet paper are flushed away in Europe every day. And the average American gets though 57 sheets a day. We could recycle but biggest obstacle is a preference for luxury, multi-ply tissues. The problem is growing: western nations are the biggest users of toilet paper, but its use is increasing in China and Africa. via new scientist [RK]
April 29th, 2010
exposing intern exploitation one firm at a time. via architects who eat their young. [RK]
April 21st, 2010
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have been subject to criticism? It really doesn’t matter if it comes from home, office, or out having fun, a lot depends on how you deal with it. It’s learning how to turn negatives into positives. In the end, most critics can be your friend, alerting you to missteps and shortcomings. To start, let’s become a little more aware of what’s really going on.
View post… via designfollow | instantshift [RK]
April 21st, 2010
crispin, humana and trek bicycle bring bike sharing to the states.
On Earth Day, April 22, B-Cycle will finally become a reality. Denver, Colorado will be the launch city for the bike-sharing program, developed by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Trek Bicycles and insurance company Humana. 500 B-Cycles at 50 B-stations will be available throughout the city as an alternative to cards for short trips. Register at the b-cycle website. Full story and video.
April 20th, 2010