The Sustainable Design Exchange
Welcome to the Sustainable Design Exchange, an online initiative to promote Canadian sustainable design and a strategic resource linking the Canadian design community to international opportunities and partners. Below you will find case studies showcasing Canadian sustainable design best practices, a downloadable Design for Sustainability toolkit, and information regarding Canada’s design presence at EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN, the upcoming world’s fair whose focus is on sustainable living. Please take a moment to look around. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact:

John Sobol
John@dx.org
Director of Publications @ The Design Exchange

Sustainable Design
In the 21st century sustainable design is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity. Our extraordinary capacity to conceive design, produce and distribute products to serve every imaginable need has placed a severe strain on our natural environment, which we often forget is both finite and fragile. Non-sustainable economies are threatening the health of businesses and communities as the costs of resource depletion and industrial pollution can no longer be camouflaged.
The challenge to designers is clear: how can we help develop sustainable systems and products that increase productivity, minimize or eliminate negative environmental impacts, and help people live better lives?

At the Design Exchange we are committed to promoting the principles of sustainable design to designers and businesses by providing resources such as the case studies and toolkit on this website. The most recent issue of EXCHANGE magazine was devoted entirely to sustainable design. Produced in conjunction with the Schulich School for Business at York University it features 10 case studies of best practices in sustainable design among Canadian businesses. Additionally the DX is partnering with national and international agencies that share our commitment to promoting the value of design as a key to building a more beautiful, efficient and wealthy world.