Business
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Signs of the times
You may not know its name, but you use its designs weekly. Italian company Solari revolutionised train and airport information boards in the 1950s and continues to innovate with modern technology.
Park life
Brazil's Santa Catarina state is booming, thanks to its location and skilled labour. Its capital, Florianópolis, is now regarded as one of the country's best places to live and work.
Up for sail
Japan’s recreational boat market has been in the doldrums due to an antipathy to ostentation. But now the ‘nation of rice farmers’ is finally finding its sea legs at its annual boating fair.
Under growth
With roads gridlocked, delivering goods in the world’s cities is a growing problem. One engineer believes the answer lies in underground Victorian-style pneumatic pipes and he has some powerful backers.
On the hop
Riding to and from work is a time for contemplation. It always pays to pack a tote with a few essential elements to guarantee you start and finish the day with a sunny disposition.
Kings of the hill
Beirut’s Christian quarter of Ashrafieh has weathered civil war and conflict. Today, the neighbourhood is under threat from developers destroying old palaces to build high-rises for the country’s internationally mobile elite.
Trade secret
Once a colonial trading hub, George Town on the Malaysian island of Penang lost out to Hong Kong and Singapore. Now its faded villas and relaxed pace are luring a new generation of entrepreneurs.
Gilt trip
Financial markets are gripped by gold fever, with prices potentially hitting $1,000 an ounce. Key to this secretive trade are the daily bullion flights between the world’s leading financial hubs.
Hair raising
The Bronner Brothers’ first hair show attracted 300 people. Now one of the largest producers of African American haircare, their legendary trade shows are part circus, part religious meeting.
Site seeing
Tokyo's Marunouchi district is in the latest stage of a 20-year transformation. The next phase includes Mitsubishi’s Marunouchi Park Building, a 34-floor office tower, shops, a rose garden and an art gallery.
