he scorching summer is here but so is June. Most of us heat dwellers have had to grudgingly return to our furnaces from cooler, happier climates. On these vacations, did you see the museums and the historical sites? Or did you seek the city’s social pulse, walked its beautiful streets, and visited its key cultural centres?  In most of the favoured destinations of the world, the attractions are often the city’s architecture, and its public spaces. We all have experienced how the built environment affects and influences the spirit and culture of a place. As Oriol Bohigas has famously said, “Public space is the city”.  This issue is a commercial design special. Inside the pages, we look at public projects, and people who are driving change within this arena. We also ask key personalities their view on the state of Indian commercial architecture. Our thanks to Amit Khanna, Anil Salian, Shefali Balwani, Raseel Gujral, Arjun Malik, and Manish Gulati for selecting examples of spaces that for them represent as progressive designs in the Indian commercial sphere. Also a must read is this month’s guest column by Reza Kabul.