Walking among Masdar City’s buildings reminds you how smart design has a massive effect on the sustainability of our built environment.

Wander through Tunisia, Egypt, Andalusia, India, Persia and China, while mingling at fashion and food bazaars including H&M, The Gap, Nike and Starbucks. Ibn Battuta Mall blows away Epcot Center.

True, he had a lot of help from imported labor, contractors and a great geographical location, but when God decided to show fearless ambition, it resulted in Dubai.

The Qatar Green Building Council is ramping up green building efforts with a punch that far outsizes the amount of space the country takes on the Arabian Peninsula.

Levi’s last month opened a new two-story store on Kalverstraat. The 2700 square feet store’s interior is full of reused, restored and repurposed materials.

Accor, a leading hotel chain that owns a bevy of chains including Motel 6, is ramping up their corporate social responsibility efforts. Employee engagement and water stewardship are among the initiatives.

Whether they benefit from visionary leaders, flourishing social enterprise, or commitment from community activists, the following 10 cities are well worth a visit to experience their transformation and resilience.

The Art Deco District in Miami Beach has no shortage of fans: nightlife, fashion and balmy climate draw visitors from all over. But the real draw is its art deco architecture.

Outside of Chicago, no American city offers a more stunning collection of architecture than Detroit. Beaux-Arts, art deco and Roman baroque are a start.

Milwaukee’s Oriental Theatre, a masterpiece designed by Gustave Dick and Alex Bauer, harkens back to a time when movies were not viewed in theaters, but in palaces.

The fine architectural details, amazing cultural facilities in midtown and exquisite buildings downtown can all anchor Detroit if the city can mend its finances and attract investment–and score a lot of TLC.

While Brasília is his best known work, other buildings Oscar Niemeyer has designed stand tall around the world. Happy 104th birthday to a global treasure!