One of the best idea I have seen in a while, coming out of a Volkswagen contest organized last year: The Speed Camera Lottery.
Speed cameras snap pictures of ALL cars.
People going over the limit get a fine, the money goes to a pot.
People going below the limit enter a lottery, and win money from the pot.
The result: reduction in speed of 22%!
Iterating on the concept of citizen journalism (that never really took of completely despite countless efforts), the Winnipeg Free Press is rethinking the boundaries between journalists and their readers, opening a café where the public can get a hot drink and engage in conversations with the writers who will work from there. Fantastic experiment, I can’t wait to see how this influences the news coverage.
Ever wanted to have a cup of coffee with your favourite journalist? Now’s your chance. The Winnipeg Free Press has signed an agreement with a local restaurant operator to open Canada’s first “News Cafe.”
Situated at the corner of McDermot Avenue and Arthur Street in the Exchange District, the News Cafe will be a community hub where people can get something to eat or drink and interact with journalists working there.
Got to love the combination of technology and, hum, “nature” 
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The art of creating a new form of art out of nothing: Fast Food Song.
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These things make me strangely optimistic, probably because they embody the unlimitedness of human imagination, anfd put humanity back in the middle of increasingly soulless cities.
Just found (thanks Fabian) the videos of the Interesting 2007 conference. Intriguing stuff there, feeds my current thinking that there is something to do by forcing speakers out of their comfort zone, into presenting on something else than the topic they cover on a daily basis.
Selected talks: