It takes community organisations and councils with foresight to see the  potential in unused or unattractive areas. The High Line in New York is a  perfect example. An area of elevated railway lines on Manhattan’s West Side was  falling into disrepair after the railway stopped using that route. A group got  together to save the area and found a designer team who reincarnated the railway  line into a colourful public park.

A bland stretch of space between high-rise buildings and beach was  transformed into a bright and lively promenade in Benidorm, Spain. This splash  of creative architecture and colour has injected a new festive feel in this  seaside resort.

In Paris, one building is changing the face of banking. The historical feel  of the BNP Paribas on Place de l’Opera is infused with funky features and retro  decorating. A honeycomb ceiling and mirrors create a sense of elegance among  bold splashes of colour, unusual furniture and a garden wall. The warm  atmosphere it creates is unlike the interior of any other bank.

Clever minds at a UK graphic design studio came up with an unusual solution  to its client’s spatial problem. Their client needed to convert a large office  space into separate work areas for potential tenants. Instead of relying on  walls or signs to mark the boundaries, this design team used giant office  supplies to do the job instead.

Four areas were clearly marked with the use of four big sculpture-type icons:  a pink highlighter, a tape measure, scissors and a roll of masking tape. Each  iconic piece could be easily removed if tenants chose to build a partition.

This kind of creative thinking must be encouraged so designers can continue  to infuse new passion, colour and purpose to our living spaces.