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In cities across the world, urban design is increasingly oriented around preventing people from resting. Details like seats with bisecting railings, ledges with embedded spikes, and railings instead of benches are just a few ways that hostile architectureor architecture that makes public spaces less accessible, especially to unhoused peopleshows up in city landscapes. Now, a design firm in San Francisco wants to flip that narrative on its head by doing the exact opposite: building a four-mile-long bench. The concept, created by the firm Sitelab Urban Studio, is one of six winners of Market Street Reimagined, an international call for design proposals to rejuvenate San Franciscos downtown Market Street. According to Laura Crescimano, cofounder and principal of Sitelab, the firm previously identified the shocking lack of seating downtown through a project called the Downtown San Francisco Public Realm Action Plan, an effort aimed at bringing urban activity back to the citys financial district post-pandemic. So, when the opportunity to rethink Market Streets design came up, her team realized that there might be a deceptively simple solution. In recent projects, we have seen the removal of fixed benches and an overall preference for movable seating over fixed seatingits less expensive, can be stored overnight, and moved around, Crescimano says. These trends reflect a broader pattern of designing out rest and permanence, which is why we believe bold interventionslike our 4-Mile Bench proposalare needed to reframe seating as essential civic infrastructure. [Image: Sitelab Urban Studio] A 10,000-seat bench The proposal is essentially what it sounds like: a 4-mile-long, bright yellow bench that would make one big loop around Market Street, offering a whopping 10,000 seats for residents and tourists. Given the scale of the project and the business of the street, Crescimano says, the idea is built with modularity in mind, using an off-the-shelf system offered by the company Landscape Forms that can easily be built and maintained segment-by-segment. Market Streets existing constraints actually made way for some of the benchs more interesting features. To avoid reworking infrastructure like signs, trees, and lightposts, the bench is imagined as a playfully curving line weaving through and around these obstacles. And, to make the seating as interactive as possible, Sitelab added custom components like swings, tables, and loops that periodically interrupt the benchs flow. It is a spectacle meant to draw in visitors from locals to touristsa recognizable, Instagrammable moment, Crescimano says. It is also at a scale to be a platform and backdrop for major events, from the Pride parade, to protests, to celebrating the Warriors or Giants wins. In contrast to past approaches that removed seating to discourage certain behaviors, this proposal invites everyone in and encourages more foot traffic. While the 4-Mile Bench is still at the proposal phase, Crescimano says Sitelab has already received interest on a potential pilot project. To make the bench a reality, she adds, the teams next steps would include meeting with city officials and property owners to refine the design and identifying several blocks along Market Street as a starting point. She sees the 4-Mile Bench as a concept that reimagines Market Street from a place of scarcity to one of abundance, choosing to lean into the positive rather than designing to mitigate risk. We want this bench to be a place for everyoneits not about restricting how people use it, Crescimano says. The reality of homelessness is complex and ever-present, and instead of designing from a place of exclusion, were hoping to expand the idea of who our streets can serve. We started our practice in San Francisco, and that spirit of openness is what weve always loved about the city.
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E-Commerce
If you thought gaming was a young persons activity, think again. Older adults now make up nearly one-third of all U.S. gamers, with 57 million Americans who are 50 or older playing regularly. Half of those in their sixties and seventies play some form of PC, mobile, or console video game every week. Even people in their eighties36%!are gaming, according to recent data from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). While it may be that older gamers simply have more free time, traditional pastimes like knitting and bridge are giving way to Twitch streams and first-person shooter games. The Guardian spoke to gamers like GrndpaGaming and TacticalGramma, who stream titles such as Call of Duty, the hunting simulator theHunter: Call of the Wild, and the air-combat game Metalstorm to hundreds of thousandsand, in some cases, millionsof followers on Twitch and YouTube. As long as you keep your brain active and functioning, youre not going to sit there and just deteriorate away, Will, 72, who games as GrndpaGaming, told The Guardian. Boomers and members of the so-called silent generation (the youngest of whom turn 80 in 2025) say their top reasons for gaming are to unwind, keep their minds sharp, and simply have fun. Some research suggests video games can offer cognitive benefits for older adults, though the effects often depend on the type of game. There are social perks, too, especially on multiplayer platforms where boomer gamers are getting a crash course in Gen Z slang. Ive learned some things I dont want to learn, Michelle Statham, who streams as TacticalGramma, told The Guardian. Gaming is becoming more popular across all age groups. According to ESAs research, nearly two-thirds of Americans, from kids as young as 5 to adults who are 90 and older, regularly play video gamestotaling around 205.1 million players. The gender split among players is fairly even, with 47% identifying as women and 52% as men. But among older generations, women are more avid gamers: 52% of boomer women reportedly play video games, compared to 46% of boomer men. When it comes to the gaming community, age really is just a number.
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E-Commerce
Were taught to think of raises as the holy grail of career and financial success. Annual performance reviews. Awkward remuneration conversations. Hoping (and sometimes praying) that your hard work gets noticed. If this is your earning strategy, you’re already behind. Forget the raise. In todays workplace, shaped by AI and economic flux, the smart earners are rewriting the rules. We cant say that raises dont matter, but theyre no longer the most effective path to earning more. Here are the five savvy steps to get you closer to making more. 1. Ditch the illusion of linearity Stay longer, get promoted, earn more. In todays landscape, it doesnt always work that way. Pay progression isnt neatly tied to tenure, and loyalty alone no longer guarantees growth. So too, for following a traditional career path, the well-trodden graduate to partner/executive/C-suite path. In the modern job economy, status has become more performative than financial. Earning more doesnt follow a straight line, nor is it built on hierarchy. Its built on leverage. A linear mindset ignores lateral moves and misses cross-industry opportunities, often with a significant financial upside. With global skills shortage, never have employees with in-demand skills held such a financial strategic advantage. But be smart: this is not an endorsement for job-hopping. Tenure is still important when in conjunction with in-demand skills. This combination can make you exponentially more valuable, opening doors to equity options and lucrative bonus structures. 2. Flip your view of a raise A raise isnt the only way to take home more pay: consider additional retirement contributions, performance bonuses, opportunities for upskilling, flexible work arrangements, or additional leave entitlements. These benefits have lower immediate costs to your employer, but compound your long-term opportunity for financial gain. When no direct salary increases are on the table, employers are often relieved to meet you halfway. A collaborative, rather than adversarial, approach demonstrates strategic thinking, further reinforcing your position as a high–value employee. 3. Revalue your contribution Too many people expect that increases happen regularly and every year. They dont. And when they do ask for more, its based on the increasing cost of living. Overall, these tactics yield crumbs. Move beyond base-level expectations: you want the cake. Salary growth and negotiations follow transformation. Revisit what you have contributed in the last 12 months and quantify it into a measurable business impact. Is it cost savings, revenue generation, value creation, new efficiencies, or some kind of innovation? If you can, put a dollar amount on it. And from now on, commit to a monthly log of contribution and value creationand take it with you for next years salary discussions. Make a compelling business case based on data and the market, not opinion, helping you pitch confidently rather than passively. 4. Look for multiple income streams This is not a second job or building on your portfolio. This is a long game, being entrepreneurial with your skills within your existing professional framework. Develop expertise and relationships that generate opportunities beyond your existing role. This could be consulting or advisory work, keynote speaking engagements, expert commentary contributions, board positions, or industry committee roles. The key is leveraging your existing job to create premium–paying opportunities that further enhance rather than compete. This could work perfectly if you have negotiated upskilling, professional development and additional leave entitlements. These activities dont just create income; they build on your professional reputation, expand your network, placing you as an industry leader. Here is where it gets interesting: a higher profile strengthens your position in future salary negotiations, a virtuous cycle. 5. Position yourself as a product (because you are one) AI has automated many tasks, but it cant replace strategic visibility. Just as successful product marketing showcases attributes and unique selling points, so too must you ensure your professional contributions are recognized by the right stakeholders. Position yourself in high-profile projects and meetings. Ensure your ideas are heard and your work is clearly attributed to you, not lost in the we, us, or team. Collaborative input has its place; so do individual contributions, and not at the expense of the other. Just as products need care, attention, and servicing to keep them in top form, so do you. Ensure you are recharging, caring for your mind and body, and pursuing growth opportunities to enhance your professional worth. Rethinking your earning strategy means recognizing the more profound shifts in how we work and whats valued. Understanding these shifts allows you to approach your career and earning potential not as an ordered system, but as a platform: adaptable, strategic, and ready for whats next.
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E-Commerce
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