Most modern furniture aficionados are loyal to the classic molded shell chairs, cast in brightly colored plastic and formed into a soft, comfortable seat.

Moving parts mean friction; friction means a drag on engine efficiency. Five years ago independent Austin, Texas, inventor Mike Brickley took this on as a challenge.

When it comes to hard-wearing, utilitarian consumer goods, there are a few acknowledged design classics: Emeco's

The 20 finalists in the Your Design City photography competition on Flickr have been announced. The goal is to

Call it the recession or just plain creativity in the air, but DIY just feels relevant these days. A great outlet for those so inclined is Make Workshops, the New York-based enterprise started Diana Rupp, a writer and fashion-addict once reprimanded for teaching knitting on company time.

With the new year comes new resolutions and a general resolve to do better. Perhaps at the top of many of our lists is the question of how to live more responsibly.

Another notch in the bedpost of green development: Tapestry, a residential building in East Harlem des

Louisville, Kentucky, is a river town built around 19th-century commerce and trade. Downtown, old brick facades remind of this era of bustling industry when riverboats and trains moved raw materials across a rapidly growing southeast.

Curated by Toronto's Greg J. Smith, Vague Terrain 13: citySCENE, is calling for papers about "urban represen