editor

Chicago and Seoul.

There's a new list out of the world's best cities: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20100817/NEWS02/100819884/chicago-climbs-global-cities-list New York London Tokyo Paris Hong Kong Chicago Los Angeles Singapore Sydney Seoul I've been to nine of these places, and I'd say two of these cities don't belong in the top ten. I can't speak to Sydney.

SIX HINES PROPERTIES IN GREENSPOINT PLAZA ACHIEVE LEED CERTIFICATION (HOUSTON) - The Houston office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that six of its properties in the Greenspoint submarket have earned certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® for Existing Buildings rating system. One, Three, Four, Five and Six Greenspoint Plaza were certified to the Gold level, and Two Greenspoint Plaza earned Silver certification. Comprising 2.1 million square feet of a Class A, multi-tenant office space, the six properties at the Greenspoint Plaza campus have been managed by Hines since the firm acquired them in 1994. These buildings increase the number of LEED certified existing buildings in Houston by 40 percent. Hines now manages 60 percent of all buildings certified under the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system in the city. With an average ENERGY STAR score of 94, the buildings are 48 percent more energy efficient and annually save $1.49 per square foot in energy costs when compared to the national average office building. This translates into estimated annual greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 3,800 cars from the road. Green features and programs include: annual potable water savings of 3.9 million gallons through low-flow fixtures; the use of energy efficient lighting with reduced mercury content; the use of environmentally sensitive cleaning products; a comprehensive recycling and waste diversion program; and the implementation of a comprehensive and ongoing retro-commissioning program, among other things. Hines Vice President James Curry said, "We are proud to have achieved such a high level of certification considering the age and diversity of the mechanical system designs across the complex. The LEED label validates our ongoing efforts to provide tenants with energy efficient, cost-effective and productive work spaces." Hines worked closely with Kirksey's EcoServices group, which played an instrumental role in managing the administrative aspects of the LEED certification process. Greenspoint Plaza is 99 percent leased to a number of world-class companies, including: ABS; CRI/Criterion, Inc.; ExxonMobil; HighMount Exploration and Production LLC; and Swift Energy Company, among others. The properties are owned by a joint venture between General Motors Pension Fund and Hines. Hines is one of the most sustainable real estate companies in the world. In 2010 Hines was recognized by the EPA, for the third time, with the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award; Hines manages 147 labelled buildings, representing approximately 75 million square feet, in the ENERGY STAR program. Twelve Hines development or redevelopment projects, representing more than six million square feet, have been designated as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR. Hines is also a leader in the U.S. Green Building Council's programs, with 192 projects, representing more than 100 million square feet that have been certified, pre-certified or registered under the various LEED® rating systems. Hines was a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council and the Russian Green Building Council, and is active in the Green Building Council Brasil, the Green Building Council España, the Green Building Council Italia, the Indian Green Building Council, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method program in the United Kingdom and the Haute Qualité Environnementale program in France. Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm's historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,111 properties representing more than 451 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. Hines has offices in more than 100 cities in 17 countries and controls assets valued at approximately $22.2 billion. Visit www.hines.com for more information. To learn more about sustainability at Hines, visit www.hines.com/sustainability.

I'm not a sports guy, so I didn't notice the lack of ESPN. I wonder if you can make that up by using the online version.

Some pictures walking around Chicago on a frosty day last February.

Most large college media departments no longer thing of television, or especially radio, as "media" anymore. I know schools that have eliminated dozens of broadcasting, writing, and journalism classes in their media departments in the last five years. Instead, they're teaching the kids how to video blog and use Twitter and Facebook, as if those are skills that an employer looks for (they aren't.) Oh, and FWIW -- Bring back K-Arts!

I wonder if there are demo units in Best Buy or some place similar.

It's not as simple as it sounds. Very few television stations have their own movie libraries anymore. In most cases these days when a local TV station airs a movie on its own, it's purchased a license for a package of movies from a movie studio or distributor for a limited time. It can then show those movies as often as it likes for that pre-determined amount of time. One that license expires, the movies go away. The cost of these movie packages for a local station is high enough that they can't make enough money with the low-income overnight ad slots, so that's why this sort of thing has gone away for the most part. I grew up with the "Million Dollar Movie" (though, on WNEW-TV/New York, not KTRK) franchise, and can still hear the theme music in my head every time I see that phrase. Just one of the many things we once loved about television that is gone because of greed.

Today while doing the bills I noticed that Comcast is charging me 20 cents a month for my remote control. I'm a little tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death by companies these days, so I got in touch with customer service to have my bill explained. Long story short; After dealing with two Comcast representatives, I decided to cancel my cable service. I mostly use it for local broadcast channels anyway, as I'm on the "Limited Cable Service" service. Now I noticed that Sezmi is available where I live, and also in Houston as well. $4.99/month for service that has more and better channels than the Comcast service I had. Sure, there's a $150 up-front equipment cost, but that will be paid off in nine months of not paying a Comcast bill. Does anyone use Sezmi? Has anyone heard of anyone who does? I'd like to hear other people's experiences before I sign up. (I'm getting too old to be a guinea pig all the time.)

The combined Continental and United Airlines is getting another new logo -- its second since the merger was announced. Good news for CO fans, though -- it retains far more Continental heritage than United. Analysis of the new logo here: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/follow-up_united_airlines.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ucllc%2Fbrandnew+%28Brand+New%29

There's an update about Kirana from the Valley Morning Star in Texas Construction this week: http://texas.construction.com/yb/tx/article.aspx?story_id=148423274

University Light Rail Achieves Key Federal Milestone Decision Moves Houston Area A Step Closer to Full Regional Mobility The NEW METRO has received good news in the form of a federal Record of Decision (ROD) on the University light-rail line, signifying final approval of the environmental review process on this 11.3-mile project. With this approval, METRO will continue to evolve the design, engineering, utility coordination, pre-construction planning work, and ongoing FTA coordination needed to go forward while renewing community outreach efforts to make sure the public continues to be engaged in this historic project. The University light-rail line is part of a regional transit plan serving the area via 19 stations between the Hillcroft and Eastwood Transit Centers with stops near Greenway Plaza, the University of St. Thomas, Texas Southern University and UH Central Campus. This project is part of a five-line rail plan that includes the East End, North, Uptown and Southeast Lines. The East End, North, and Southeast lines are under construction, while the Uptown line is in the design phase. METRO Chairman Gilbert Garcia praised the ongoing efforts of Houston’s Congressional leaders for supporting rail expansion and working to secure federal funds. “The environmental approval on the University Line puts us one big step forward in the federal funding process,” Garcia said. “The Houston region owes a debt of gratitude to leaders like Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, as well as Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee, Gene Green and Al Green for their tireless efforts to fund light rail expansion in Houston.” George Greanias, Acting President and CEO of METRO, says the agency is committed to responsible stewardship of the public’s transit dollars. “We appreciate all the work required to win federal funding: from Congressional and community leaders to the METRO staff. Houston clearly needs the University Line as an East-West transit artery. We’re extremely gratified the FTA has taken a big step in advancing this important project.” To find out more please visit www.ridemetro.org for general information or www.gometrorail.org for construction updates.

Nothing. Please help keep this thread on topic. I see nothing in the rules about that. However, a public swat on the butt with a newspaper is often more effective than a private admonition. It helps dispel the widespread notion that certain people receive preferential treatment on HAIF. Let's keep the rest of this thread on topic. If anyone has any questions about policies, they can e-mail me directly: editor@houstonarchitecture.com.

<iframe src ="http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/HAI/Weather/Stormpulse/2010-03.html" width="800" height="600"> <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> </iframe> Powered by hurricane-tracking software from Stormpulse.com. Right now she's headed straight for Baton Rouge.

DA's Investigation of Innocence Claims Leads to Inmate's Release Houston, Tx -- Prison inmate Allen Wayne Porter is scheduled to be freed after an extensive investigation by the Harris County District Attorney's Office concluded that he was wrongfully convicted of a 1990 sexual assault, District Attorney Patricia Lykos announced. State District Judge Joan Campbell granted a writ for Porter, 39, to be released on bond. He is seeking to have the ultimate authority, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, formally overturn his conviction and life prison term. During his 19 years in prison, Porter had been unsuccessful in numerous attempts at challenging his conviction. His current quest for freedom began last year when he wrote District Attorney Lykos personally and appealed to her for a review of the case. She directed the Post Conviction Review Section, which Lykos created after taking office at the start of 2009, to investigate Porter's claims of innocence. "Our sworn mission is to serve justice. The integrity of the criminal justice system means everything," Lykos explained. "Wrongful convictions are a triple tragedy-for the accused, the victim and for society. The true criminal is free to continue to commit offenses." The District Attorney commended the professionalism and intensive, months-long investigation by the Post Conviction Review Section in developing evidence from the initial claims of Porter. The primary investigative team members were Section Chief Baldwin Chin, Assistant District Attorney Alicia O'Neill and Investigator J.J. Freeze. Porter's case stemmed from a crime that occurred at a southwest Houston apartment on June 18, 1990. Three masked robbers burst into a southwest Houston apartment occupied by four victims, including two women who were sexually assaulted. Porter's nephew, Jimmy D. Hatton, now 40, was charged and convicted as one of the assailants. Porter attended that trial with other relatives, and was arrested there when a witness said Porter resembled one of the other gunmen. Porter was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and sent to prison. DNA evidence testing six years ago did not link Porter to the crime, although that finding was not enough to establish his innocence. His fingerprints also were not among those found at the scene. However, the unidentified prints in the case would prove crucial to his claims. The convicted nephew and an inmate convicted of another crime acknowledged to the DA's investigators that the two had participated in robbery. They said that Porter had no involvement, but they did identify the third suspect who participated in the crime. Investigators compared this third suspect's fingerprints with previously unidentified prints taken at the scene and found a match. The woman who had driven the robbers to and from the scene also swore that Porter was not involved. After hearing testimony and related evidence presented on Thursday, Judge Campbell made her ruling. (The statute of limitation bars new prosecutions of the other conspirators in the crime.)

I think one person's definition of "boring" doesn't necessarily match another's. I love Singapore. There's oodles to do there, and you're just a taxi ride from Malaysia, or a ferry ride from Indonesia. Singapore has what is easily the world's most amazing zoo experience. Brussels, similarly, has a ton of things to do and see. Bratislava -- OK, it's a little boring. But it's a small city, what do you expect? It seems the author equates "excitement" with something like Disney or Las Vegas or some other in-your-face location that a disaffected 17-year-old with ADHD can embrace. Seriously, if you can't find something to do in Brussels, then you're an uncultured heathen who should stay home. It's interesting to note that the blog in question is funded by the government of the European Union. Go figure.

This mostly correlates with my experience, too. Especially the part about appearing confident. If you make it look like you're just doing a job, people for the most part leave you alone. Even if you have permission from the property owner, things don't always go smoothly for all the same reasons as shooting from a public street. I was hired by Hines to shoot its RIverside Plaza towers in Richmond, VA and had to explain to a rent-a-cop that I was working for his boss. And building on the "littler the man, the bigger the mouth" theme, when Hines hired me to shoot a tower in Chicago, I was doing some lobby shots (obviously professionally, with lights, and computers, and wires and crap everywhere), and some lawyer rushed up to me shouting, "Do you have permission to be here!? My clients don't want to be in your pictures!" My response was "I don't want your clients ruining my pictures, either." His yelling brought the security guards over, who told him to calm down and leave me alone. That was nice. I've had a number of marginal people and vagrants "offer" to show me better places to take pictures from for a small fee. My standard response is, "I don't carry cash." Which is true -- it's not the 80's anymore. If it wasn't for the collection basket at church, I would probably go months without touching money. Speaking of the Census -- do you guys get some kind of cherry bonus? I've had the Census guys knock on my door a few times (brand new building, so for some reason there's confusion and extra verification) and they are always the nicest, happiest people I've ever met.

A few cities have been able to make airports into something like an intermodal hub. But these are often places where there is a large population spread in one particular direction outside of downtown and the airport is located in the middle of it. Amsterdam comes to mind. I think Orly might fit this description, too, but I haven't really been through there enough to say for sure.

If one of these opens in Houston, how are the valet parking goons going to take up all of the public meters? - I also have visions of a Jaguar dangling at a jaunty angle trapped between a vending machine spiral and the glass front of the machine.

Very interesting. Can't wait until a cop tries this with a TV station. Someone's going to lose his pension. Illinois wiretap laws have never been updated for the video age, so you can carry hidden cameras anywhere. It's only the sound that requires consent. That's why when TV stations in Chicago do their undercover work there's no audio.

Like any major construction project, light rail links to airports tend to be paid for by many groups. Usually the city and the feds. Sometimes the county will chip in, along with the airport authority, or a regional development group. I don't know if the FAA ever gets involved, but I wouldn't be surprised. Seattle hooked up its light rail to the airport about six months ago. Lots of other cities are doing the same, or if they have a subway, doing that. One of the things that Chicago touts when it's trying to lure businesses to the city is the fact that it's the only city in North America with subway lines directly to two airports (and if Peotone airport gets built, the trains will be extended there). I once asked someone in a position to know these things if that's a real selling point for attracting businesses, or if it's just hype, and she told me that it really is a strong selling point and makes a big difference to a lot of companies. Go figure.

I don't think Trader Joe's counts as upscale. When I lived in Chicago, there were two in the neighborhood. They have good stuff (like peanut butter-stuffed pretzel nuggets, and candy-coated sunflower seeds), but it's not a full grocery store. You couldn't live solely on what is on offer at TJ's, unless you don't value your health or variety. The produce department was four bins of random vegetables that changed weekly, and I don't think there was a meat department at all. Trader Joe's is to grocery stores what a neighborhood curio shop is to a department store.

I've been hassled a number of times. In my experience, it seems the less "official" a person is, the more likely they are to cause problems for me. Rent-a-cops, and transit cops have been the worst. City cops have been better. Federal police have been no problem. Off the top of my head: Downtown Houston, a rent-a-cop threatened to take away my equipment at Enterprise Plaza. I told him that I'd be happy to call 911 so a police office could explain the law to him. He backed off. Downtown Long Beach, California a transit cop demanded to see my permit. I explained the law to her, and she was happy. I preceded it with, "I've been doing this for 10 years -- it's my job to know what I can and cannot do." Downtown Chicago (Printer's Row area) -- Chicago cops asked what I was taking pictures of and why, but didn't make any threats. Downtown Hong Kong (Admiralty) - Chinese military police didn't give a crap about me shooting their barracks. Downtown Hong Kong (ifc Center) - Rent-a-cops were curious about me, but being a white guy, they were afraid to approach. When it appeared to me they were getting concerned (a sudden burst of radio use), I walked over to them and asked them where they thought the best locations would be to take pictures. They loved this, and pulled out a map that they drew on and let me take with me. Downtown Bellevue, Washington - Cops walking by stopped in their tracks and got out of my way so I could take a shot! Holy crap! Downtown Washington, DC - Taking pictures of various government buildings at 3am - United States Park Police would cruise by me every couple of minutes on a scooter, but didn't interfere. I think he was just making sure I wasn't spray painting anything. When I was working for a large media company, our photographers were threatened all the time. The lawyers at corporate had a set of guidelines for the photographers. Among the more interesting points - Never give up your media. If a cop demands it, tell them they need a judge's order or a search warrant, and to submit it to the company's lawyers for consideration. - Never erase pictures you've taken. If a police officer believes you've committed a crime by taking pictures, erasing the photos is destruction of evidence. A police office cannot compel you to commit a crime. When I had my old Sony camera, it had two media bays. I always thought that if I ended up in a situation where a cop demanded my film, I'd just pop out and hand him the empty card. Sadly, I never got the chance. My new strategy is to shoot on MicroSD cards, and if I'm in a bad situation, I'll just swallow it.