[sustainability]Growth spurtIt's a well-polished platitude that the Southern Nevada housing market's collapse is an opportunity to pause and decide what kind of community we really want to be. Hmm.

The University District's Lunch Box serves up innovative hot dogs - and a distinct community vibeLet's think about lunch. Sitting at a table, waiting for your order.

Welcome to the March Desert Companion. Our spring fashion and home design issue is sure to help you continue making a home in Southern Nevada - stylishly, economically and mindfully.

I know things are tough, Vegas, and I know that most of the resolutions you made a couple of months ago have gone out the window. I know you took a long hard look in the mirror, told yourself it was going to be different, it was time to make a change, you really meant it this time, and now you're pretty much back to doing what you've always done.

This month, Tivoli Village opens - the first phase, anyway. It's a handsomely built, mixed-use development that could be Summerlin's answer to Town Square.

It sounds like a title out of a David Foster Wallace novel. In 2008, Michele Diener was hired as MGM International's Director of Corporate Sustainability Strategies.

Ever wanted to take a peek behind the curtains of your developer's, designer's or decorator's home? With their magic, they turn the mushy domestic visions of the masses into art you can live in. What's it like when they unleash that power on their own dwellings? Stunning.

One of the valley's hottest design stores isn't a store. It's the colorful Roberto Leyva's seductive Living PenthouseWith all the seriousness in the world, Roberto Leyva says he could absolutely die the next time he walks into a $10 million house where the owners have spent only $50,000 on furnishings.

Habitat for Humanity's ultra-efficient new homes save families money - and may spark a new wave of green housing for allHabitat for Humanity helps put budget-strapped families into affordable homes - but that dream can suffer a few dents when those families later face $500 power bills in the notoriously hot Vegas summers.But now Habitat, a nonprofit that sells homes at-cost to families earning less than 80 percent of area median income, plans to help families save even more - with an ultra-sustainable house.

What's on the horizon for spring style? See our photo feature on page 32. Meanwhile, Wendy Albert has a few ideas too.