Because the everyday carnage on our highways isn't news, we fail to recognize driving as the riskiest thing we do on a regular basis. Our obsession with novelty clouds our ability to make wise decisions about transportation and everything else.

When indifference rules in the design of public transportation and pedestrian infrastructure, the result is often a nuisance. For Raquel Nelson's son, it was lethal — a tragedy born of an unconscionable oversight.

It was supposed to be Carmageddon in L.A., but instead the two-day closure of the busiest freeway in Los Angeles reiterated a timeless lesson about cars: We lose less than we think when we make them a lower priority in our cities.

From architecture to fashion design, Germany has become a sustainability pioneer in business sectors well beyond energy production. Along the way, its young innovators have discovered a wellspring of innovation in the design challenges of going green