Color of Empire. “Iranian activists — trying to blanket New York City with their trademark green color — lobbied to bathe the top of the Empire State Building in green light all this week during their rallies against Iran’s president, who is visiting the United Nations. The request was rejected. But on Thursday, to the protesters’ delight, it will be green anyway, for another reason: an ‘Emerald Gala’ for the 70th anniversary of the film ‘The Wizard of Oz.’”

In other news, today the building will be lit red and yellow in honor of the 60th anniversary of communist China.  ¶

Color of Cool. “Relying on the centuries-old principle that white objects absorb less heat than dark ones, homeowners like the Waldreps are in the vanguard of a movement embracing ‘cool roofs’ as one of the most affordable weapons against climate change.”  ¶

Color of Slow. “San Francisco transportation planners, looking for a way to make Market Street safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, decided Tuesday to scrap their earlier idea of tinting the asphalt at two dangerous Market Street intersections a brick-red color to grab drivers' attention. After consulting the color chart and state traffic code, they opted for beige.”  ¶

Transition Towns. There’s a movement stirring. Through municipal engagement and intervention, local communities are reengineering their towns to thrive after peak oil and climate change. What started in Wales has spread across the UK, Ireland and the world.  ¶

20 Political Poster Books. Activist, poster artist and book nerd Josh MacPhee posts an annotated list of his twenty favorite books on post-WWII political posters. A great resource!
 ¶

A vacant store front into a temporary library. An abandoned lot hosts an outdoor film festival. The Asian Community Development Corporation is using vacant space for the community and brewing interesting things in Boston’s Chinatown.  ¶

Union Label Archive. Great online gallery of the visual landscape of US union labels, logos and symbols. Happy Labor Day! (via)
 ¶

Design to Improve Life. Winners of the 2009 Index Award have been announced. On top of the list are the wind-up fetal heart rate monitor and an efficient, smokeless indoor stove. See the complete list of finalists for lots of social design product ideas.  ¶