The Gensler Research Institute has released its latest City Pulse study, which explores how global perceptions have shifted in 15 cities worldwide between 2021 and 2023. The Return of the City: A 2024 Retrospective of the City Pulse also further examines findings from six of those global cities — Austin, London, Mexico City, New York, San Francisco, and Singapore — to identify how some urban centers that thrived during the pandemic are fighting to maintain their vibrancy, while others that struggled under lockdown are showing signs of resurgence.

The data makes one thing clear: the city is back. In fact, fewer respondents want to move to the suburbs or rural areas, and 73% percent of those who want to move intend to relocate to a city of some kind. The most popular destination is a city with more people, indicating that the draw of density has rebounded after a time marked by social distancing. The City Pulse Retrospective takes a step back to evaluate the four key factors that attract people to cities or make them less likely to stay: neighborhood design, employment opportunities, “big city” problems, and affordability challenges. Overall, city dwellers feel that many aspects of urban life have improved since 2021. However, certain obstacles — particularly those around cost and affordability — have become heavier burdens.

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Looking for a reliable choice to deliver domestic hot water efficiently while ensuring the safety of building occupants? Trust Lync's complete, engineered system solutions for all your commercial needs.

Lync’s expert engineers have designed intuitive, comprehensive systems including high-efficiency commercial water heaters, water conditioning, UV disinfection and more, providing end users with fully integrated, holistic solutions. 

Pre-assembled units make planning and installation a breeze, saving you time and hassle. Say goodbye to guesswork as Lync integrated components work together seamlessly, ensuring optimal reliability and energy efficiency. With Lync, facility managers have a single trusted source for sales, maintenance and technical support. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its annual “Top Cities” list, spotlighting the cities with the greatest number of ENERGY STAR certified commercial and multifamily buildings last year. Los Angeles leads the pack, with 876 Energy Star certified buildings. In second place is Washington, DC, with 631 buildings, followed by New York in third place (390 buildings). Atlanta and San Francisco round out the top five.

According to EPA, the energy used by commercial buildings is responsible for 16% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and costs more than $190 billion per year. Energy Star certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy and are responsible for 35% less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings. To create the annual list, EPA tallies the number of Energy Star certified buildings within each metropolitan area, as defined by the U.S. Census, and creates separate rankings for mid-sized and small cities, including surrounding suburbs. This year’s list includes buildings that earned the EPA’s Energy Star during the year 2023.

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Choosing the right art for your commercial space can be a challenging task. ATP.art specializes in helping you select and place art that aligns perfectly with your objectives and budget. Whether you aim to enhance your brand image, create a welcoming atmosphere for clients and visitors, or boost employee morale, ATP.art has the expertise to make your vision a reality.

A team of experienced art consultants will work closely with you to understand your needs and preferences, ensuring that the chosen pieces reflect your company’s identity and values. From contemporary art to classic pieces, they provide a diverse range of options to suit any style and space. Professional installation services guarantee that your art is displayed optimally. Transform your commercial environment into an inspiring and visually appealing space. Let ATP.art help you elevate your workspace with the perfect art selections. 

Schedule a consultation with ATP.art today

Demonstrating a commitment to perpetual growth and adaptability, Versteel introduces Troupe Seating as the latest addition to its award-winning Troupe family. This collection of stools and benches encompasses versatility, quality craftsmanship and a contemporary aesthetic, ensuring that Troupe remains a dynamic force in the contract furniture industry. Influenced by the process of forging and shaping metal, along with a strong history of steel craftsmanship, Troupe was exclusively designed for Versteel by Qdesign as a family of design and function-focused products for working and learning environments. 

The new stools and benches introduce a captivating blend of modern elegance and natural elements, creating solutions that seamlessly integrate with the overall Troupe aesthetic. The tapered steel legs, reminiscent of their table counterparts, complement the Birch plywood seat with exposed, rounded edge. The four-leg Troupe stools come in three seat heights: 18”, 24” and 30”. Additionally, the 18” high bench has three lengths: 48”, 60” and 72”. For added customization, users can opt for an upholstered seat with a selection of patterns and colors from Versteel’s textile partners. The Birch plywood seat is available in Clear Matte or Clear Gloss finish, with the option of alternate wood finishes. The steel frame is available in a wide range of Versteel powder coat colors.

Wooster Products is the industry leader in anti-slip stair treads and walkway products. They have been manufacturing anti-slip products for new construction, renovation and OEM applications since 1921 from their Wooster, Ohio, facility. Long respected for quality and innovation, their products include cast iron (Ferrogrit), cast aluminum (Alumogrit), extruded aluminum (Spectra, Supergrit, Stairmaster, and Flexmaster), pressure-sensitive adhesive tape (Flex-Tred), and coatings (WP-70, Walk-A-Sured, and Safe-Stride), as well as photoluminescent nosings and treads (NITEGLOW).

Their work is featured in commercial, industrial, and residential settings worldwide. Wooster Products can provide anti-slip solutions for any project; stadiums, office buildings, apartments, restaurants, sidewalks, transit stations, trucks, trailers, boats, planes and more. 

Contact Wooster Products today to “Make Every Step a Safe One.”

In the ongoing discourse surrounding sustainable textiles, wool often finds itself at the forefront due to its natural origins and biodegradable properties. However, a closer examination reveals that the sustainability of wool may be more complex than it may seem, suggests global synthetic fiber producer Universal Fibers. While wool holds inherent qualities that align with sustainability goals, the conventional practices associated with wool production raise significant environmental and ethical concerns. In contrast, synthetic wool fibers, such as Universal Fibers’ nylon 6,6 Wool-Look, can present a compelling case for sustainability. Below, the company delves deeper into why Wool-look nylon 6,6 emerges as a more sustainable alternative in today’s market.

While rooted in tradition, wool production has evolved into an industry fraught with environmental challenges. Sheep farming contributes to methane emissions, and sheep grazing can lead to land degradation and desertification, along with biodiversity loss. Wool production’s energy and water-intensive manufacturing processes also significantly contribute to its environmental footprint. In contrast, a synthetic fiber product such as the nylon 6,6 Wool-Look can be a compelling, innovative solution, with a third-party verified lower environmental footprint, enhanced durability for increased lifespan and more significant potential for circularity, and sustainable (and ethical) manufacturing processes.

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Handpicked from diverse industries and realms of expertise, the Best of NeoCon jurors will evaluate 294 new commercial interiors product submissions in person at THE MART in Chicago on June 7 and 8. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 10, marking an exciting kickoff to the NeoCon show, running June 10-12. Fifty jurors from across the country bring a wealth of experience and insight into the nuances of product design and specification, along with an understanding of evolving industry trends.

This year’s delegation features both new and returning leaders from prestigious architecture and design firms, healthcare organizations, universities, national labs, major multinational corporations and more. While the input of design professionals is paramount, facility managers offer the critical end-user perspective while judging the competition. Nineteen facilities-related professionals join the 2024 jury, hailing from such companies and organizations as Northwestern Mutual, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, Los Alamos National Lab, AbbVie, Nestlé Purina PetCare, University of Michigan, Walgreens, Sony Pictures, National Science Foundation, Aflac and others.

The Best of NeoCon awards program honors outstanding new furniture, carpeting/flooring, lighting, technologies and other commercial interiors products across 50 categories encompassing workplace, healthcare, retail, hospitality, government and education domains. Honors will be awarded for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability and the coveted Best of Competition. This year's entrants may opt in for the Business Impact Award, pre-vetted by a jury of facility end-users, real estate planners and specifiers, and evaluated on-site by a panel of business journalists from leading publications including Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur and Bloomberg.

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Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors have taken hold across corporations and institutions. Earnestness and good intentions intact, executive management is looking for concrete solutions that contribute to ESG. One of them, literally, is sitting above the concrete. Gridd by FreeAxez is a low-profile raised floor and cable management system that has been found to be a key contributor to the circular economy. Lisa Whited, author of Work Better. Save The Planet., investigated for nearly a year, authoring the research paper, The Circular Economy of Gridd, and spending time with its president and founder, Earl Geertgens. 

Gridd by FreeAxez, exhibiting at NeoCon booth no. 7-5098, is a low-profile raised floor and cable management system available in two heights: 40 mm (1.6 inches) or 70 mm (2.75 inches), which is installed on top of a constructed floor. Wires and cables are laid within the system, making electrical components far easier to access than when they are buried in walls, as they are in conventional construction. The Gridd system is also much less intrusive than core drilling concrete slabs to install wiring into a space.

Gridd is composed of interconnecting components (think LEGO bricks and elements) and does not require fasteners, screws, or rivets that may wear out over time. Because of the minimal number of components, durable material and the overall design of Gridd, onsite construction waste is reduced to near zero. Gridd is a product that can be used, disassembled, relocated and reused repeatedly. Because of the way Gridd is designed, manufactured, and installed, the product contributes to the circular economy. For a visual explanation, watch the new Gridd video.

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Pininfarina, the world-renowned Italian design house, has announced the unveiling of the design for Primeclass Pacifico, a series of five distinctive airport lounges with different dimensions located at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago de Chile. This project, developed together with the local studio Grupo Arquitectos and the collaboration of Primeclass Pacifico, Servicios Aeroportuarios and TAV OS, is the first for Pininfarina in Chile as well as a significant milestone in enhancing the travel experience through innovative design and sensory engagement.

The design concept of Primeclass Pacifico design by Pininfarina revolves around three pillars: Environmental Sustainability, Sensorial Well-being, and Travel Experience. Pininfarina’s design strategy incorporates natural elements, cutting-edge technology and biophilic principles to create a harmonious and healthful environment that promotes relaxation. The project showcases Pininfarina’s commitment to sustainability, with locally sourced materials, and health and wellness, with each lounge designed to meet rigorous standards and including such features as relaxation areas, circadian rhythm lighting and seasonal food offerings.

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The design world will always love its neutrals. But for spaces craving brighter, bolder floors, Bentley has you covered with Free Day Color and Free Pass carpeting from Bentley. These colorful extensions of the Daytripper Collection are playful reminders that with imagination, anything is possible.

Inspired by the joy of carefree afternoons spent outside, Free Day Color encourages exploration. With the same simple and completely accessible style and pattern of Free Day, Free Day Color is produced with Bentley Premium solution-dyed nylon and offered in a bright palette of 12 saturated, sophisticated solids. They can be seen in the Bentley Chicago showroom at 220 W. Kinzie Street.

For different or custom colors, specifiers can elevate with Bentley’s Free Pass — same style, any color. Whether matching corporate brand or school colors, or matching carpet to paint selection or vice versa, facility managers and designers can try COLORCAST, Bentley’s proprietary color system, for as few as 50 square yards or as much as 20,000 square yards in a single dye lot.

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Collaborate accessories from Haworth empower people to do their best work — no matter their workstyle. These adaptable, mobile tools were created to work together but can be configured in a variety of ways to support different types of collaboration, socializing and the range of activities that happen across an organization. Collaborate accessories accommodate a range of space types and sizes; each piece in the collection can be easily added or removed at any time to flex with changing needs. Haworth is at NeoCon in showroom 312.

Multi-use carts provide options to transport hospitality items, collaborative tools and markerboards from space to space — helping people work the way they want, supporting meeting mobility and offering flexibility as needs change. Dual-purpose freestanding screens divide spaces, provide privacy and support collaboration. With up to 80 possible configurations – combining add-ons, monitor mounts, markerboard rails, materials, finishes and sizes – these screens help people work the way they want, support collaborative mobility, and offer seamless reconfiguration.

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This week's Featured Book from FMLink Books is part of a collection of peer-reviewed books curated by the editorial team at FMLink to provide facilities, engineering and A&D professionals with access to publications relating to Management Leadership.

Leading Global Projects is a must-read for anyone responsible for projects and initiatives that span functional and geographical divides, whether intentionally or accidentally. Authors Moran and Youngdahl bring extensive experience and learning from industry practice to present a clear and straightforward treatment of the leadership skills and knowledge required to lead projects that are global in nature. They have written what they call the first book of its kind to address the three essential skills of global project leaders:

1. Strategic project management
2. Project leadership
3. Cross-cultural leadership

This and other Management Leadership titles are available for purchase on FMLink.