For Architects, Less May Have to be More
from The New York Times
In the construction industry, architects are sometimes like the canaries in a coal mine. Architecture firms started seeing signs of slackening demand in early 2008, and, in recent months, as the full force of the recession has hit, many of these firms have had to make deep staff cuts. Some of the biggest reductions have come at high-profile shops like Gehry Partners, which cut half its staff, and Foster + Partners, which shed 25 percent and shuttered some overseas offices. More

Vatican to Build Europe's Largest Solar Power Plant
from guardian.co.uk
The Vatican is well versed in conversions, but there probably hasn't been something on this scale since its very own St. Paul was on his way to Damascus: the world's smallest country has announced it is to spend €500m (£441m) building Europe's largest solar power plant. More

Travel Cutbacks Slash Service to Midsize Airports
from USA TODAY
As the summer travel season nears, fliers are about to feel the full brunt of cuts in air service—and vacation spots aren't the only places getting hit. The recession and resulting falloff in business travel are taking a particular toll on second-tier business airports such as Cleveland, San Antonio and Hartford, Conn. Large airlines have reduced flights and switched to smaller planes since fall. Others have pulled out or shut down. More

Gut Check: Green Jobs—Hope or Hype?
from GreenerBuildings
For Alla Weinstein, the ocean's not dark blue, it's green—as in profits, jobs and environmental friendliness. As CEO of a company developing an offshore wind turbine, she's busy trying to line up investors and permits, and envisions a day when her industry provides electricity to millions of homes and jobs for tens of thousands of Americans. Weinstein is among 1,300 people who responded to msnbc.com's latest Gut Check question: Do you support President Barack Obama's push for "green jobs?" More

In China, Property Sales Show Signs of Picking Up
from The Wall Street Journal
China's real-estate market continued to show signs of improvement in March, official data show, with price declines easing and government support measures helping property sales pick up. More

Being Green is Still in Fashion in the Workplace
from Shanghai Daily
The Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) recently examined how workers feel about their organization's green and sustainable business practices. The Kenexa Green Business Study database includes survey results from workers in Canada, France, Germany, India, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. More

Sustainability a Growing Movement at Colleges, Universities Across Canada
from Building Design & Construction
Sustainability is quickly seeping into every crevice of campus life at some colleges and universities in Canada and each year they're churning out reams of green graduates schooled in the ways of environmental building. But true sustainability in construction, engineering and energy isn't going to come about by just dedicating one program to it, say staff, faculty and students, it's about a way of thinking. Bob Emptage, the dean of technology, environment and apprenticeship at Georgian College, based in Barrie, Ont., said to achieve sustainability students must be taught to incorporate it into every step of the building design and construction process. More

Europe's New Buildings Get Welcome Push to Produce as Much Energy as They Use
from WWF
WWF, the global conservation organization, has welcomed a European Parliament vote that proposes a 2019 deadline for all new houses, offices and shops built in the European Union to produce the same amount of energy they consume. The deadline will be 2016 for all new public buildings. More

Can Technology Save the Economy?
from Technology Review Online
The U.S. stimulus bill includes tens of billions to support energy and information technologies. It is intended both to create jobs immediately and to set the stage for long-term economic growth. So why are economists and innovation experts so skeptical? More

Solve Any Workplace Conflict in Three Simple Steps
from Business Management Daily
Up to 30 percent of a typical manager’s time is spent dealing with conflicts. And in every person, the natural reaction to conflict is based on biology: When confronted with danger, our innate biological response is to either attack or run away—the famous “fight or flight” syndrome. The fight reaction can translate into arguing, yelling and even becoming physical. At the other end, the flight reaction causes us to quickly give in, flee to uncomfortable situations or avoid bringing up difficult issues. In the workplace, neither fight nor flight behaviors are likely to result in solving the problem. Instead, use the following three strategies to help you move from conflict to resolution. More