Universal design

I loved this NYT article (by my good friend Lisa). It just underscored the fact that it's difficult to get people to understand that good design, which should encompass universal design principles, should not be an exception, but the rule.

I've been knocked off my feet with a deadly cold, so I didn't get a chance to think back to the panel, on green urban environments. Thanks to all those who came out! It was a full house, and lots of fun.

The universal design article reminded me that as a panel, we didn't get a chance to talk about a lot of things, especially since the discussion seemed to be about green design in general, not about green urban design. Also, I was on a personal kick about not advocating for specific design proposals, and was more focused on the idea that sustainability is a lifestyle decision, so I loathed giving out specific design criteria. However, there are some low hanging fruit, especially for NYC. They include tweaking our roads for people, not cars; adding green roofs (how many times do you go up to someone's roof and are blinded by a sea of silver sealant?), and improving public transit connections. While these are more policy oriented, they impact the ongoing design of the city.

Obviously I'm having panelist remorse, but at least the thoughts are going somewhere.

Speaking of integration of good design, this is a related topic - the terrible state of packaging design for "better" food products.