German architects Christian Dieckmann and Robert Wetzel want to reawake the awareness for the significance of the "Colonius", Cologne´s TV tower, which is distinctive for the cityscape of the city.

During the PLAN08, the panel for architecture in Cologne/Germany, taking place from 19 - 26 Sept, they tranformed the TV tower by illumination and caused a lot of attraction.

Whether in the USA, Britain, or Belgium, Finland, Italy, Russia, Kazakhstan, or China: everywhere, cities are shrinking.

The dramatic development in eastern Germany since 1989, which has led to more than a million empty apartments and to the abandoning of countless industrial parks and social and cultural facilities, has proven to be no exception, but a general pattern of our civilization.

Shrunken cities contradict the image, familiar since the Industrial Revolution, of the "boomtown", a big city characterized by constant economic and demographic growth. Shrunken cities spur a reconsideration not only of traditional ideas of the European city, but also of the future development of urban worlds.

REDLIGHT FASHION AMSTERDAM

Who could imagine buying the latest couture party dress in the Red light district?
As from January 2008, it is possible. Next-door to the Amsterdam girls of
pleasure, fashion design will be displayed in the windows.

The Red Light Fashion Amsterdam project originates from a collaboration
between the municipality of Amsterdam, NV Stadsgoed and HTNK, consultancy
and recruitment agency of the fashion industry. In order to redevelop the centre,
NV Stadsgoed bought several brothels. For the period of one year these
buildings will be loaned to Dutch fashion design talents and used as shop-
windows, workshops and living areas.

DESIGNSPOTTER.com is going to embark on a great journey in cooperation with the Canadian Tourism Commission CTC and the host destinations Alberta and Ontario to discover the "wild west".

Our Lifestyle-Tour is presented by cleverwomen.de and will show Canada from its young, fresh, wild, modern and stylish side, giving the viewer an individual and intimate view of the design-orientated Canada of today.

An inter-ministerial steering committee is given responsibility for the establishment of the Seed Vault. The project is managed by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

The Norwegian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, of Environment and of Agriculture and Food, have joined forces to provide NOK 45 million to construct the seed vault.

The Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property is responsible for the construction and technical maintenance of the Vault. The Nordic Gene Bank has the administrative responsibility for the management and operations of the Vault.

The Global Crop Diversity Trust is a major partner involved in all aspects of the project. It is funding the operations of the Seed Vault and organizing and funding shipment of seeds from developing countries to Svalbard.

An international council will monitor the activities of the Seed Vault to ensure user
interests.