Design and Architecture

If you have visitors in town and you want to show them some art, do you take them to a museum or gallery, or do you head outdoors? Right now the streets are alive with public art, some of it commissioned by the City and Department of Cultural Affairs or by Metro, some of it appearing overnight on walls around town.

A tour of Tesla's new gigafactory, under construction in the Nevada desert and how that intersects with CEO Elon Musk's latest master plan. We compare two Whole Foods stores and a look at the seductive power of supermarket design. And, ceramicist Ben Medansky, talks about the support that followed a fire that destroyed his downtown LA studio.

You've heard the horror stories about this year's Brazil Olympics - from blocked toilets and unfinished infrastructure to toxic water and a political coup. But that's not the full picture. LA-based architecture and engineering company AECOM created the master plan for the Rio Olympics and promises that Brazilians are going to put on a terrific games.

Corruption, toxic waters, building delays… will Brazil's Olympic "nomadic architecture" deliver after a difficult construction process? If running, jumping and swimming are not your thing, you can tune into Rio's eGames. But do gamers really need athletic wear? And Brazilian modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi gets her moment in the sun.

How much is a political convention about the message or the messaging? Simon Doonan explains. Fashion lover Lun*na Menoh makes music with sewing machines. And a tour through projects by Skid Row Housing Trust explores how much good design can alleviate the trauma of homelessness.

Gone are the days of your grandparents' political conventions. Now, these events are carefully designed to dazzle the audience, especially the television audience. And with a reality TV star at the top of the Republican ticket, Donald Trump is sure to produce a spectacle.

Augmented reality, virtual reality and the future of the city: Cleveland's historic Public Square is remade, just in time for speakers not invited to the Republican National Convention. To revamp an old coaster, just add VR goggles. What does the success of Pokémon GO tell us about future cities created by techies? 

Ridership on the Expo Line rose by nearly 60 percent in the month of June compared to April, but average weekday trips continue to decline. Why, and can the trend be reversed by building close to the train stations?