| 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.
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