Simbha

According to the following article, the Bank of America Plaza tower in Atlanta - currently, the tallest building in the US outside NYC and Chicago - has been foreclosed upon... http://www.ajc.com/business/bank-of-america-plaza-1336921.html Timeline:

Yes, that's why I referred to Tranquility Park in the paragraph above it. And, I believe that the trees in the Astronaut Memorial Grove are actually live oaks, not holly. Admittedly, it's been a while since I've visited, however. My point is to suggest that Houston build a notable and visible monument - not only to those lost but - to the entirety of human spaceflight. Tranquility Park is a nice monument, but it's not even known to most Houstonians. And, the Astronaut Memorial Grove is not known to most people - period - and is a memorial to those lost, not to the endeavor itself; there's a difference in my mind.

My post above is incomplete and in small type. Since I can't edit it now, I'll restate it here and add in the stuff that got deleted (by me, I'm sure - accidentally)... 4. Affiliation with manned spaceflight I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Space Center Houston is a poor monument to a proud heritage of space exploration. It doesn't even come close to dignifying the efforts made by thousands of Houston residents who affected millions - if not, billions - of people worldwide. It's a Class C exhibition when it should be a Class A facility. It's no wonder we didn't get a space shuttle. However, it's not too late; it can still be improved upon. I'd really like to see a world-class facility that focuses on the human side of human spaceflight. This is Mission Control and where the astronauts trained. Simulations, hands-on displays, a wax museum... I think there's huge potential here that isn't being used. There's nothing else like that in the US! While Space Center Houston is a poor monument to our home-based space program, Tranquility Park in Downtown is a nice space and could become a more appealing tourist destination. Currently, it's occupied by... well... the Occupy Houston crowd, but the space itself is a nice monument to the program, at least when the fountain is turned on. One change I'd suggest for the space is to improve the lighting - both for the park as a whole and for the fountain itself. I've also suggested this elsewhere on HAIF, but I'll reiterate it here: I think Houston could stand to use a purpose-built monument in or near the city core to human spaceflight. This is where it all happened, and it's more appropriate to do it here than anywhere else. I wouldn't want such a thing to be in Clear Lake, despite the geographic proximity to JSC/Space Center Houston. No, a monument such as this needs to be in the center of the city where all the action (read: viewers of TV/film) would see it as part of the city core.

In my opinion, here's what Houston (as a collective of people) needs to do in terms of its tourism strategy... First, we need to decide which of the following we want to be: A city with good, but not mind-blowing, offerings, which caters to the regional population and doesn't devote resources to marketing itself in a big way. I'll call this the Organic Model. A city with stronger, regional offerings that continues to cater to the regional population but markets itself aggressively to this population. I'll call this the Regional Strategy. A city with broader (national or international) tourism ambitions. I'll call this the Global Strategy. Once this is decided, we can then have a better sense of what to do next. Here are my thoughts on each: Organic Model This doesn't really require any planning or intervention - that's the point of the Organic Model. People will simply find things on their own - through word-of-mouth, etc. The key to this is access; the city's involvement should be limited to maintaining existing infrastructure and building appropriate new infrastructure. It can encourage development in pockets of the city through targeted tactics, but it is not going out of its way to market the outcomes. I'd say this is where Houston was roughly 30 years ago. Regional Strategy Under the Regional Strategy, the city markets itself as a regional tourist destination and takes a stronger hand in developing small- to mid-scale tourist attractions. From the perspective of the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), this strategy is somewhat more focused on enabling employee retention rather than attracting new employees to the region. Tourism happens, but it is secondary to other industries (energy, petrochem, medical, etc). I'd say that today Houston is between the Organic Model and the Regional Strategy. It is focused on regional tourism development and has (over the past 30 years) developed some good attractions to this end. It's lacking in some attractions, and its centralized information distribution network is also lacking. In order to fulfill the Regional Strategy, I think Houston would need to do a few more things: Develop, market and maintain a centralized site for the distribution of information about events/venues/happenings in the city. Develop better systems for transporting people around the region. This doesn't have to mean rail, but it should include more public transportation options, particularly to/from satellite destinations such as Old Town Spring, Clear Lake, and Galveston. Encourage and support the development of more regional attractions. This could include more small museums (inside and outside the formal Museum District), small entertainment venues, and fairs. Global Strategy This, of course, is the big deal. It can potentially take on almost any form, but I'll provide some examples... First, it must do everything under the Regional Strategy. The city needs to develop a tourism planning site, as Niche has suggested. It would need to be dynamic and user-friendly. It must also develop far better public transportation options. For a Global Strategy, light rail alone is insufficient. (I won't get into whether it's necessary; it's happening, and we'll deal with it.) To be a top-rated tourist destination, Houston also needs to improve its bus systems significantly. Next, the city must become more walkable. The fact is that tourists don't come to a place to drive to one destination, then get in the car and go someplace else that's two - or ten - miles away. The core of the city must be developed further and made more walkable. That doesn't mean that we have to make it so that a tourist can feel comfortable walking from Downtown to the Galleria, but it should mean that no tourist should have to shop the myriad eclectic offerings along Westheimer in Montrose with their head tilted down in order to avoid tripping on a major crack. And, tourists shouldn't be fearful of walking across streets to get from one block to another. People can drive (or take public transport) from one area of tourist attractions to another, but once they've arrived at an area, they should be able to walk reasonably easily. Currently, that's not the case (more on this later). This brings me to another suggestion - one about which I've been thinking recently and am somewhat passionate. Consider that Houston is crisscrossed - especially in its central area - by highways. There's no sense in trying to do away with these; they're a part of the Houston setting. But, what can be done in my opinion is to make the underpasses more attractive to pedestrians. Currently, Houston's highways act as barriers to development. Consider the difficulty in getting people from Downtown to EaDo or Midtown by walkway; similarly, consider the difficulty in people walking from the inner loop near the Galleria to just the other side of 610. This can be accomplished with nominal cost (relative to other tourism projects) and - I think - would significantly enhance the city experience for both residents and tourists. I would suggest that the city (or a nonprofit -- I'd be willing to start one, if I could get enough people behind me) develop something like an Adopt an Underpass campaign. Donations would go strictly to providing city-authorized enhancements of a designated underpass. Specific enhancements could be things like artistic lighting, foliage, benches - maybe even refreshment stands, if the city would be willing to grant a waiver to solicitation bans. I believe the effect would be to bridge between areas of significant development and enhance the potential tourism experience. (I admit to being whimsical about this idea; I haven't conducted the appropriate research to know if it would actually have the effects I'm suggesting.) In parallel with the development of this infrastructure, the city could then work on further developing existing tourist attractions and/or developing new ones. Here are some suggestions; these are by no means properly vetted: 1. Shopping Destination Houston has already got some really interesting offerings regarding shopping. With some enhancements to the key areas, I think it could become an even more attractive hub in this regard. Here are some suggestions: Uptown/Galleria/Highland Village: Make the entire area more pedestrian friendly. This is somewhat happening on its own, but I think it would need the city's involvement to take it to the next level. I'd really like to see the entire area filled with a combination of street stores and small park spaces. Highland Village could be connected to the proper Uptown area by, say, jitney and better pedestrian walkways. Uptown Houston has the potential to become our 5th Avenue. (I know, most people hate Houston-NYC comparisons, but I'm simply pointing out an analogy - NOT suggesting it be the same or that 5th Avenue be the goal.) Rice Village: Already one of the most walkable areas in the city, but it pales in comparison to other, similar districts in the US. I recognize that it's radical, but I would suggest removing most motor traffic in the Rice Village, and instead provide garage parking in its center and along the outskirts. I believe people would be willing to pay for such parking, and the Village itself could be recreated as an interesting area of shops, restaurants and busking that could really be a good tourist draw. Montrose: As mentioned above, the area along Westheimer west of Montrose is just filled with some really great gems of shops, but the walkways are not the best. I don't think this exists so I'll mention it: I think it would be a great idea to have the shops come together (as they do in the Village) and create a map of stores in the vicinity (maybe through a mobile application). Some shop owners might think that this creates even more competition, but I think it will significantly increase the amount of visitors to the area, in general. (If you hate Houston-NYC comparisons, how about a Houston-Boston comparison... This could become our Newbury Street!) 2. Experience Energy Houston has got this immense, interesting and misunderstood industry that accounts for 43% of the gross metro product, yet we have SO little that actually provides people with an experience in the industry. If anywhere in the world would have a Museum of Energy, it would be Houston - but we don't (at least, not really). We currently have the Ocean Star, which is technically the Offshore Energy Center's museum, but it's simply not enough (although it's a great place!). Here's what I suggest: Enhance the Ocean Star experience. Build a Houston-based Museum of Energy - something really amazing. It could be the same, but it could be different... Work with one or more Houston-based energy companies to offer guided tours of their facilities. That will likely require a remaking of one facility; perhaps an older facility seeing disuse could be used for this purpose. Enhance the Port of Houston boat tours - and increase their frequency. The key here is that this not only has the potential to enhance the city's image; it also has the potential to enhance the entire global industry's image - an industry, I'll remind you, that is crucial to (nearly) every single person on earth. 3. Visit... The World's Largest Medical Center! It's only since fairly recently that Houston Greeters has been doing TMC tours. This is one of the most amazing places on earth, yet we haven't found a way to use it for tourism? I'd suggest that we develop something in partnership with TMC administration itself and the Health Museum. I recognize that the TMC is an actual workplace - not just a tourist attraction - but I'm certain that with some brainstorming along with the TMC administration and member institutions, that something on a large scale could be done. 4. Affiliation with manned spaceflight I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Space Center Houston is a poor monument to a proud heritage of space exploration. It doesn't even come close to dignifying the efforts made by thousands of Houston residents who affected millions - if not, billions - of people worldwide. It's a Class C exhibition when it should be a Class A facility. It's no wonder we didn't get a space shuttle. However, it's not too late; it can still be improved upon. I'd really like to see a world-class facility that focuses on the While Space Center Houston is a poor monument to our home-based space program, Tranquility Park in Downtown is a nice space and could become a more appealing tourist destination. Currently, it's occupied by... well... the Occupy Houston crowd, but the space itself is a nice monument to the program, at least when the fountain is turned on. One change I'd suggest for the space is to improve the lighting - both for the park as a whole and for the fountain itself. I've also suggested this elsewhere on HAIF, but I'll reiterate it here: I think Houston could stand to use a purpose-built monument in or near the city core to human spaceflight. This is where it all happened, and it's more appropriate to do it here than anywhere else. I wouldn't want such a thing to be in Clear Lake, despite the geographic proximity to JSC/Space Center Houston. No, a monument such as this needs to be in the center of the city where all the action (read: viewers of TV/film) would see it as part of the city core. I'm certain that I'll get some disagreement on some or all of these suggestions, but that's the point of having a discussion right?

That's cool. I'm not surprised, though. We most often think of Houston's industries as energy and medical, but we often forget that the largest waste management company in the country is based right here (as is the world's largest broadline food distributor). It's not shocking that WM would debut their state-of-the-art vehicles in their hometown. Good post, fatesdisastr.

Some of them can be found here: http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/25143-favorite-houston-public-art-and-fountains The Buffalo Bayou is a good greenspace. There are a few areas along the bike/hike routes that could use some attention and I'd like to see better connections with the surrounding areas, but overall it's a nice space. Another favorite is Villa de Matel, but I don't believe it's generally open for visitors. Here's a nice video showing the area: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enKs-j7wjkw Rice University is one of the most beautiful campuses anywhere. I personally enjoy walking around the Texas Medical Center. The Menil Collection and surrounding areas (including U of St Thomas) are very nice. Montrose is a great place to walk around. I love all the shops you can find along Westheimer, in particular. Memorial Park is just a gem. I haven't been since many of the trees dropped, but I hope it can be rebuilt to its pre-drought state. Most of these are pretty generic (i.e., known to the common Houstonian).

Subdude, you clearly don't understand the incredible importance of the aluminum-siding school of architectural thought.

I still have hope that the building itself will be preserved and used for a similar purpose. I'd really like to see a museum in Houston dedicated to religious (not just Christian) art works, for example, and I think this could be a great space for such a thing.

It doesn't matter how many times I see the numbers, I am always in awe: 4 million new residents in the region over the next 30 years! That's just phenomenal growth!

It may not be the best, but I created a blog on Blogspot yesterday, called Visit Houston: http://visithouston.blogspot.com/. I'd be happy to include anyone else as authors, as long as it's kept civil and accurate. I haven't actually posted anything yet. If anyone has any better suggestions, please let us know.

Bump. Just wanted to give everyone a chance to know that the Byzantine frescoes will be leaving Houston. Last day to see them will be March 4. Several events are being planned prior to their leaving: February 12, 5;30pm: Performance by the St. Paul's Methodist Choir February 19, 7:00pm: Discussion moderated by Menil director Josef Helfenstein, titled Constructions of Art & Faith: The Byzantine Fresco Chapel and the Menil Collection March 3 (I don't know the time): Liturgy provided by Archbishop Demetrios of America I urge everyone who has not seen this beautiful space in Houston to go within the next month. These are the largest intact Byzantine frescoes in the Western hemisphere, and they won't be around much longer...

Could someone explain to me the basic elements that an architect would be looking to achieve in this case? I recognize that architectural design is a creative endeavor, but are there some standards that would be followed in a case like this? I'm not talking about codes or regulations, but instead design standards that would be followed in order to achieve the effect that is sought. I'd like to better understand how an architect would even think to create a design in this case. For what it's worth: Of the above designs, I really like the exteriors of the Herning and Kiasma, but not the Nelson-Atkins addition or the LA Museum of Natural History. The Nelson-Atkins addition just seems like it's got too much contrast with the other building (I assume that's what's next-door). I don't care for that thing jutting out of the LA museum (and I recognize that it's still in the design phase). But, on the other hand, the Herning really seems to fit well in that space, and the Kiasma is a beautiful, modern looking building in an urban space.

Is this what's meant by their 'unification' statement? I always interpreted it simply as providing physical (not visual/architectural) continuity between the Law and Beck buildings and the sculpture garden. Sure, architectural consistency might be optimal, but I don't see that as being a primary goal. (It's not as though my opinion matters, however.)

Here's something else I'll add... If you want to encourage Houston tourism, perhaps THE most important step is to make Houston residents themselves of the wealth of offerings available. I don't remember who said it (and I'm too lazy to check if it was even said in this thread) but I agree with the notion that tourism development in large cities will first and foremost start with friends and family of residents. It amazes me how little Houstonians know about their city. As an example: Before striking out on my own in business, I worked for an oil-and-gas company some years back. We had an affiliate from Norway visit us several times, and one time he flew his family in for a week because he was going to have to stay for three straight weeks and wanted to tour the city with them during the end-cap weekends. He asked around our office what there was to do in the city. In an office of 45 people, nobody (except me) could tell him what to do, other than JSC and the Galleria. I was flabbergasted! When I first came to Houston, a friend (who actually knows the city well) told me the following: Regarding New York, they say "It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Well, Houston's the opposite: "It's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit here." I've been here for 17 years, and this statement is just as true today as it was then. It's true that 'the city' doesn't promote its amazing offerings, but I think we too often associate the term 'city' with the government and/or the 'city leaders'. In reality, cities are just collectives of people (obviously) and it takes those same people to tell others about what the city has to offer. I'm all for advertising campaigns, etc - but I wonder if the greatest bang-for-the-buck might be to focus inward on our own citizens and help them understand what makes Houston so great.

I think, as a city, we should pause now and ask ourselves: Do we need a soccer stadium, or is it better to have a venue for beach volleyball?

I believe this is the video to which Lockmat refers above:

This is an excellent thread. I'd been able to view bits and pieces since it started, but just got my first opportunity to read through it in its entirety. My answers to your questions, Nick_G: Which tourist attraction is your favorite and why? Do I really have to choose just one? I staunchly refuse... I'm not sure it's considered a 'tourist attraction', as even most Houstonians don't know about it... but, I absolutely LOVE the 'Seven Wonders' sculptures and the surrounding Sesquicentennial Park: The reason? It's a beautiful sculpture from afar, and up close you can see what it really is: a celebration of Houston through the eyes of its children. Of course, this can be considered an extension of the Theater District, which really can be considered a tourist destination. I wholly agree with infinite_jim regarding the area surrounding the Preston Street station, too - which is not far away. I live in the Museum District, so I obviously like that area. I think we could do a better job of making it more pedestrian-friendly. I've suggested this elsewhere, but here goes again: I think the city or a nonprofit organization ought to build a 'circular' that takes people around to/from all the Museum District member facilities. I'd also like to see pedestrian bridges in the area which connect the main park to the Mecom Fountain, the Mecom-Rockwell Collonade and the Cancer Survivors Plaza - or, at least, better pedestrian walkways. What ideas you have for getting more tourists walking on the city streets especially in the winter when we have some of the best weather in the country? I agree with Houston19514 and the others that we should advertise at the airport (specifically, IAH). One thing I think we need to do is build a consistent brand. The city touts itself as Space City, but this moniker is losing its edge as the manned spaceflight program is in jeopardy (due to both losses of funding and the privatization of spaceflight) and JSC is - as several people have told me - a 'Class C tourist attraction'. If we're going to bill ourselves as Space City, we ought to pay more attention to our Space City credentials, in my opinion. This is a problem, in general, with branding a city through an industry -- Industries within the city change. I'd like to see us switch our official nickname to Bayou City. Given the proposed $500 million master plan connecting the bayous - and that they're a natural feature - it's a more forward-looking nickname for the city, in my opinion. No other city in the US - or world - has this, and it provides a focus for the city's future development. One of the biggest problems Houston has its inability to get itself into films/television. A friend of mine who is a former Hollywood producer and - after that - lived in Houston for a time told me that the reason Houston is not better represented in film is because it's extremely difficult to find land on which to set up cameras/etc. This is one of Houston's characteristics: It's one of the most, if not THE most, capitalistic city in the world; nearly everything in the city is privately owned. That makes getting permission to film difficult, he says. A great example of this is the short-lived show, Lone Star. The show was about Houston (at least partially), yet it was filmed in DFW! If Houston wants to develop tourism, it has to develop a bigger reputation. That will take presence in film and television. And, THAT will take a concerted effort on the part of businesses, citizens and policy-makers. And, no -- converting the Astrodome into a massive studio won't do it. My two - well, maybe more - cents. Edit: One addition... I'd like to see Houston tell the world just how 'treed' it is. It is one of the most remarkable things about the city. People who visit me for the first time always remark about two things: they assumed they'd see cowboys everywhere (they don't) and they thought Houston was a dry desert (it isn't). Houston is a lush area with greenery and a HUGE number of trees: I have no idea if it's an accurate count, but the Texas Forest Service did a study that indicates that the region has 663 MILLION trees! In total, trees cover roughly 30% of the region, making the Houston area third-highest in terms of canopy coverage of major cities. This is branding that can be consistently built alongside the Bayou City moniker.

Thanks for posting this, lockmat. It was a lot of fun. Did anyone else check out the 'additional findings' page that came after and claims that elected officials score lower than other citizens, on average? Here's the link: http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/2008/additional_finding.html. On only three questions was the average score for an elected official higher than for everyone else. I was also appalled that so few (in general) got #19 right.

In the absence of renderings, here are some shots of contemporary art museums which Holl's firm has designed around the world. I've also provided square footage for each building. The plot for the new building is around the same size as that for the Beck Building, which has roughly 190,000 square feet of floor space. All the images I've posted below are from the website of Steven Holl Architects. I've chosen one exterior view and one interior view in each case. More images of each can be found on the website itself (here). Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, Herning Denmark Size: 56,000 sqft Status: Completed Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Addition and Restoration), Kansas City, MO Size: 165,000 sqft Status: Completed Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland Size: 130,000 sqft Status: Completed While not a museum of contemporary art, the Museum of Natural History in LA is in its design phase and may offer clues regarding elements which may find their way into the MFAH expansion: Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA Size: 80,000 sqft Status: Design

Folks, it's basically a huge hospital. What do you expect other than hospital food?

I remember when an old 1960's motel near the Texas Medical Center changed hands and was rebranded as Villa Inn located at 9604 South Main Street. When did this change-over happen? Anyone have any remodel pictures? Edit: Here's a matchbook I found on Ebay!

Yes, to me it seems small. Even with the expansion (to 40,000), the stadium would be in the lower third of NCAA FBS stadium capacities. The campus is quickly growing (2.4% annual student population growth since 2005), outpacing Texas A&M (1.9%) and UT-Austin (0.6%). It is the principal public higher education institution in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. Most NCAA FBS stadium have seating for a population that is significantly greater than the student body. Of course, one driver for this is that most students (including grad students) are enrolled in a university for four years or less; however, they will be alumni for many years after. For example, looking at the largest universities in Texas that are also in the FBS: University - Current Enrollment - Stadium Capacity - Ratio University of Texas at El Paso - 22,640 - 52,000 - 2.3 University of Texas at Austin - 51,145 - 100,119 - 2.0 Texas Tech University - 32,327 - 60,454 - 1.9 Texas A&M University - 51,895 - 83,002 - 1.6 University of Houston - 39,824 - 40,000 - 1.0 University of North Texas - 35,722 - 30,850 - 0.9 Furthermore, looking at the future Big East Conference, UH would rank near the bottom in stadium capacity, despite being one of the largest schools in the conference (in terms of student enrollment). Well, I can't argue with this - but not because I agree, but because I haven't seen the pricing/cost analysis. But, generically - Smaller stadium and competition for tickets doesn't necessarily translate to greater profit. And, while I know you're using the term informally, state universities are not in the business of making a profit - at a minimum, they're there to provide an education to members of the populace; in regards to sports facilities, they support such programs in order to (i) provide recreation for the university community and (ii) garner moral and financial support for the school. I don't think that packing a stadium and leaving some people who want to attend games out is the best way to achieve these goals. Look, I'm REALLY glad that my alma mater is revamping its football digs - but I'm a bit disappointed that the initial phase is such a modest expansion from its current capacity. These expansion plans just seem a bit short-sighted to me.

This may warrant its own topic... UH has taken the next major step in developing its new stadium: http://blog.chron.co...rd-its-stadium/ UH has raised about half of the projected $120 million construction cost. 40,000-seat capacity seems small. I see the ability for expansion being planned into the development, but even 60,000 seats seems small for a University poising itself for significant growth in reputation, student population and alumni/community engagement.

Apparently, there's a proposal to turn one of Hollywood, CA's areas into a high-rise district: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57354674/hollywood-high-rise-plan-has-some-up-in-arms/

Yeah, unfortunately that's the inevitable outcome of basing (a large part of) the regional industry on chemical production and refining. Nothing really to be done about this, except possibly support federal- and state-level legislation requiring caps on the release of airborne chemical by-products. But, even that would likely affect all counties nationwide, so it would still probably result in Harris County being at the top of such a list.