Lots of interesting developments to link to this week:

Last night Mayor Sam Adams (in an open letter to Governor Kitzhaber) proposes a closer look at the cable stayed design for the CRC. Notably in 2008 Adams singled an early article I wrote in one of his own blog posts regarding the need for good design and perhaps an iconic one (this letter suggests he's holding to that goal). The process has been backwards but there is a reason the cable stay is a popular design option... not the cheapest or the most expensive but perhaps the smartest (seismic, environmental and iconic) bang for the buck. As I mentioned earlier this week the cable stay design keeps gathering momentum (the deck truss design is abysmal and wont get local support). Another thing to consider is the need for a good designer to make certain the details of this hugely expensive project are developed and executed well. This isnt a luxury folks, simply a way to ensure that we and those who live here after us get the most for the inherently expensive price of such a project. Extra profit taking by skimping on details for transit projects is hardly a new or rare thing, a designer brings a certain quality control. Still, with seismic concerns and the overall rickety design of the current bridges (which lack max trains) I believe we need a new bridge. It will bring jobs and I feel the Federal Government needs to become a more major funder in this I-5 project. This isn't just a bridge between Portland and Vancouver, it is a bottleneck on I-5 that is dangerous in a major seismic event, and clogged during normal operation conditions. It could transform the way Portland and Vancouver interract if done well.

Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Brian Lanker died in Eugene last Sunday at age 63. Known for his portraits of civil rights leaders and poignant on the scene snaps, he gets a nod from the New York Times.

The Gaurdian discusses a fascinating historical exhibition about filth, called Dirt.

Even Europe is making cuts on contemporary art and Daniel Buren speaks out.

Le Corbusier's Chandigarh is threatened, help protect it.

Artists and curators boycott Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.