Eindhoven features in Lufthansa inflight magazine

The city of Eindhoven appears this month in Lufthansa's inflight magazine with a great editorial about what makes Eindhoven so special, and how do the people of Eindhoven perceive their city.

Eindhoven boasts more patents per capita than anywhere else in the world. What’s its secret? What does it have that other cities don’t?

A spherical glass object looking much like an alien’s egg is embedded in the ground in front of the station. Beside it stands a building at once antiquated and futuristic. The facade shimmers the myriad greens of tarnished copper. In Eindhoven, there’s nothing clear or organized; instead, rank growth prevails. Every few paces, passersby can have their photo taken at a flat pillar with a display – but these so-called “Citybeacons” also monitor air quality, provide information about what’s on when, and act as signposts for visitors to this city, which is reputedly more inventive than others. Eindhoven, with its population of just 225 000, is an architectural curiosity cabinet. Put another way: Creative chaos reigns. Every decade since World War II seems to have immortalized itself and its particular visions here. Every street appears to have experienced repeated new beginnings, each one adding something completely different. Beautiful Eindhoven is not, but beauty isn’t a priority. The important thing is to try things out, to live out ideas. Eindhoven has more patents per 10 000 inhabitants (22.9) than anywhere else in the world, San Diego coming in second with a ratio of 8.9 to 10 000. Does the city inspire its inhabitants to be creative or is it the other way around? Let them answer that question themselves, read the full article here.