The Faster Lane
from Tyler Brûlé
Growing older, standing taller – and building trust one quality idea at a time
I am going to do my best to pick up where Andrew left off yesterday and bring you the key highlights from the past days at our Quality of Life Conference (QOL) in Barcelona.…
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Fireworks dazzle over Switzerland but killjoys want to mute the celebrations
It’s Friday afternoon in the heart of Lisbon and it’s 34C and perfectly cloudless. Mom has just returned from the salon sporting a bouncy coiff’ and I’m plating lunch, which was prepared minutes earlier…
We took the long way to Lisbon and the wine made it all worthwhile
I’ve been plotting a Zürich to Lisbon road trip for the better part of six months. In its original form, it was going to be something of a delivery mission to transfer fragile objects…
We missed the party because a cat mistook mom for a canapé
First, an apology. For all of those who travelled from near and far for our Merano summer party last Saturday, I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to put in an appearance. If you give…
Swiss summer, a stuck shutter and how to AI-proof your career
My Zürich apartment building is a solid Swiss 1960s affair that has the odd twist of Japan (landscaping and terraces) and maybe a bit of Palm Springs (angular modernism and plenty of concrete). This…
Amid sprawling news deserts, the future of fine print is in our hands
What a difference six days and 6,000 kilometres makes, especially in the business of selling newspapers. On Saturday morning, I woke up at my mom’s place in the Old Mill district of Toronto and…
A glass box is not a bathroom and other observations from pintxos to urban planning
Buckle up, pens at the ready, tighten those laces and stay alert. The Faster Lane has spent the past week crisscrossing cities, dashing over nations and jumping the Atlantic. We start on the small,…
Cities are evolving – but not everyone gets to come along for the ride
When do you no longer count (even exist) as a paid-up member of civil society? Is it when you move beyond city limits and check out from the buzz of the metropolis? Are you…
How to make a hot night in the city feel perfectly cool
How do you spend your evenings when the city is baking, the air is still and it’s logistically impossible to head to the mountains or down to the coast? Do you find a shady…
Week of contrasts as Lisbon’s airport chaos leads to special night in Ottawa
Lisbon It’s Saturday midday and our Emirates 777 is making an approach from the south to Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport. It’s a stunning clear day and there is no holding or zigzags; we touch down…
China can build cars – but now it’s building brands
Just in case you missed it or you’re still a disbeliever, SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER. I can say this with some degree of confidence because life experience tells me so and because I just…
