We unpack two stories exemplifying the principle that thoughtful design can have a deeper impact than just being pleasant to look at.

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Liam Syed takes us to a café in Damascus that serves up regional favourites blended with stories of the Syrian capital’s past.

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We assess how cultural spaces, music venues and arts festivals can bring a city economic success.

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Wif Stenger describes how the so-called “ugliest building in Oulu” can be redesigned to serve as a community treasure.

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We chair a roundtable conversation on the future of the office and how good design can bring people back to our city centres.

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to Budapest’s pioneering “ruin bar” to see how urban environments persevere through destruction.

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We review some strong city journalism to see how these publications and productions are helping city residents to stay informed about the environments that they live, work and play in.

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