***Conceptual art, Public art, Ego art, “plonk art”, modern art in the plaza, if it’s in the public domain people are arguing about it. This article(Building magazine website), by Tarek Merlin lays out the story of a project their working on. Including this excellent description of old school vs. new school, a nice read:
The old school, now derisorily referred to as “plonk art”, sees the answer in large, robust sculptures by big-name artists, but these pieces always seem devoid of contextual value.
The new school says we should make art integral to the built environment. It takes local contextual clues and weaves them into the infrastructure, rethinking the design of a public bench or the humble paving slab.
*** Pam Penick writes about the boom in blogging by Gardeners in Austin, Texas. I guess there’s more to do in Austin than eat good food, listen to a little music, and maybe . . . watch a little football.
*** Worm casings, energy walls, reclaimed wood and:
cold-processed fresh fish fertilizer, mychorrizal fungi, seaweed and tea, among other things, to keep plants healthy.
It’s all here, a good list on some of the hot buttons; right now, in the green movement by Carolyn Leitch.
The Whispering Crane Institute 
really?