A ball and a wall used to be all you needed for hours of entertainment. But these days, when good design is an expected component of almost every experience, that's just not enough. The right color and composition can make all the difference. Fortunately, architects and landscape designers have answered the call and produced an amazing array of public spaces for recreation. The Good Life shows the best new designs from around the globe in one colorful collection. From Acconci Studio's Skateboard Park in San Juan, to ShoP's East River Project in New York City, to Ken Smith's Railyard Park in Santa Fe, to muf Art and Architecture's Barking Town Square in London, these spaces are some of the most imaginative work around. Stripped from the structural constraints and serious programs of so many building types, the projects here are designed for fun.

The Good Life was organized by Zo Ryan, Senior Curator at Van Alen Institute and editor of this volume. A broad team of creative experts, including Paola Antonelli, Janet Abrams, Michael Bierut, and Diana Balmori have contributed their thoughts in a series of roundtable discussions, printed in this publication. The list of contributors reads like a whos who of design: Stan Allen, Martha Schwartz, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, David Adjaye, and many more. An exhibition of the work will take place on New York's waterfront beginning in September 2006.