-By Jennifer Thiele Busch

Halfway through what easily could be considered the worst financial year in our collective memories, there begins to be a glimmer of hope on the general economic horizon (the recent declaration of bankruptcy by General Motors, notwithstanding). According to the Commerce Department, the month of April saw an 0.8 percent gain in spending on construction—the biggest gain since August of 2008—and that in turn followed a 0.4 percent rise in March. The Commerce Department also noted that there was an increase in the number of commercial projects that got underway in April, a fact that is likely attributable to the federal government's $787 billion fiscal stimulus package. And while the construction activity that supports the practice of commercial design tends to be a lagging indicator—meaning that recovery will come more slowly to those of us dependent on a resurgent construction industry—there is a lot to be said for the power of positive news, especially as we move into NeoCon®, the North American commercial design market's largest and most important trade event.

Taking advantage of what we hope will be an upbeat mood in Chicago, Contract will be supporting John Cary and John Peterson of Public Architecture (our 2009 Designers of the Year) with their official announcement of a new initiative that will encourage manufacturers of commercial furniture and finishes to donate products through Public Architecture to organizations in need. Public Architecture, you may recall, already enlists the pro bono services of more than 500 design firms nationwide to "give design" to disadvantaged communities and populations through its "The 1%" program (www.theonepercent.org). This next initiative to be announced, connecting valuable materials and goods with actual projects underway by firms donating design services through The 1% program, will create an opportunity for manufacturers to become involved in meaningful giving. It will also create yet another avenue for designers and manufacturers to partner for the common good. In the end, we all have the same mission: to make the world a better place through design. Our focus on design for community space in this issue appropriately provides some compelling examples of how our industry can have a positive and reverberating impact, one project at a time.

Also on the topic of product manufacturers, the Best of NeoCon® Competition—which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year!—had a pretty good year despite the recession, indicating that even though business has slowed down significantly, new product introductions have not seen such a precipitous drop. Kudos to all of you who have kept the design and development wheels churning out new ideas during this challenging time. I encourage the design and facilities management communities in attendance to show their thanks and support by making a special effort to visit all of the Best of NeoCon® entrants this year. Though the Best of NeoCon® logo has always been a symbol of innovation, perhaps this year it also means a little bit more.