Tag Archives: Los Angeles

Oct 31 2011

Seven Billion People…. a few minutes ago

There was news today that the population of the Planet had reached 7 billion – 7,000,000,000 folks crawling, walking and ambling around. I mentioned before that to visualise this you need to fill a Post Box with sand – the individual grains add up to approximately 7bn. Alternatively put all the people side by side – and they would fill the greater Los Angeles area.

There has been spectacular population growth in recent years – in 1930 the number of bodies was 2bn, by 1960 it had reached 3bn. At the current rate of growth it is expected to hit 9bn by 2045. On the day I was born in 1962 there were 3,209,507,604 people about (including me).

Can the planet cope? Do we have the resources we need to survive?

We are pretty good at adapting, but resources are finite. As an example these people will all need fresh water – and of the water on the globe 97.5 percent of it is saline – of the other 2.5 percent freshwater, two-thirds of it is frozen…

Oil will almost certainly run out – so we do need to find sustainable fuel sources. Solar and wind are looking pretty good?

In the short term we may need to sort some housing out. Current estimates suggest that 134,000 new homes were built in the UK in 2010, the lowest number since World War II. It is reckoned that 230,000 new households are being formed every year. By 2025 there will be a housing shortfall of 750,000 in England alone. If this is replicated across the world, we will have a lot of people squeezed into fewer and fewer buildings?

There is just one thing though – who was the 7bn’th person. They deserve a prize!

Jun 8 2011

Wollaton Park – another missed opportunity

I live very close to Wollaton Hall and Park – one of Nottingham‘s finest Elizabethan mansion houses surrounded by 500 acres of public open space. It really should be a treasure – like Nottingham Castle. Should be but sadly is not.

I was at the Hall at the weekend. There was a motor show – I though on for the whole weekend, but actually only on for Sunday. Never mind, there’s always the coffee shop and cafe. Sadly cappuccino gets mixed up for latte (a common problem).

We ventured into the shop – although it looked closed – I presume there was a power-cut – there were no lights on! And the stock was the usual tat. A girl behind the counter looked rather bored.

The highlight of the shop was above my head – a Mk1 Raleigh Chopper bike – built in 1970 – within a few miles of The Hall. I hadn’t realised that they stopped producing this iconic bike until 1984. The ape-bars, motorbike seat and central mounted gear change were the epitome of cool back in 1970. The price was £32 – which was clearly far too much for my parents – I never had one.

But back to the shop – and the Hall generally. The cafe is better than it was a few years ago, but they need to learn how to make coffee. The shop desperately needs sorting out. As does the visitor experience generally. The place looks unkempt. The grounds are more ‘wildflower meadow’ than neatly kept. The toilets hover around average.

Wollaton Hall is a great asset for the City, but we just don’t see it as such. I don’t think it would take a lot.

One of the great examples we saw in America 18 months ago was the use of volunteers (especially at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles). It wouldn’t be difficult here to do that? In the meantime this looks like another asset that wastes away and we miss another opportunity.

Jan 28 2011

Shopping the old way?

Over New Year we were in Oxford – a favourite town which we travelled to frequently when our daughter Jade studied there for three years. It has been a couple of years since we had been – but not much has changed in this scholarly place. Nor do I suppose it will over the next few hundred years!

But one of my favourite parts of the town is the Covered Market. It’s been there since 1774 and was once the trading heart of Oxford – built to tidy the streets of the then numerous ad-hoc stalls. At the time of its opening meat could only be sold from within the walls – which would have added to the improvement in food standards no doubt!

Today it has traditional shops – butchers, fruitiers, cake shop, cheese shop, a chocolatier and many others.

It is a much more interesting shopping experience than the supermarkets we frequent and have grown used to in our modern cities. It has lanes of shops, narrowing to keep you close to shop windows, but it also has a central square and four separate entrances. You are enticed into looking down the lanes to ‘find’ shops. There are surprises. It is interesting.

It reminded me of the Farmers Market I visited in Los Angeles in September 2009. And I found a similar place in a Shanghai at the Tai Kang Road Market – a myriad of small lanes and tiny shops selling local wares. Both had a slightly grungy fee. But you feel safe there.

These are not expensive marble laid malls with mirrors and large expanses of glass. They have a human scale, are relatively cheap in construction and are interesting to the eye.

I think I prefer to buy my stuff at such a place if I can…

Modern malls have a place, but they can have that ‘so what’ feel. They are formulaic because of the national multiple retailers. Markets, on the other hand, are reflections of the personalities of the shop-keepers, not of some corporate buying office somewhere in London. This appeals to me!

Sep 12 2010

12 months on…where were you?

I was in Los Angeles – with the Sheriff of Nottingham, on my fact finding tour of the USA. We were in search of world class attractions – and in particular, attractions that would have a resonance with Nottingham and our local hero – Robin Hood.

The trip was fascinating and we learned a lot. The knowledge was shared with the Sheriff’s Commission and there was much enthusiasm for building a new Robin Hood attraction – based around Urban Entertainment. The buzz around the Russell Crowe film as palpable. I went to the Premiere in Nottingham.

Then there was launch at MIPIM 2010 – and the talk I gave about how we had to capitalise on our very own asset.

So what has happened one year on?

Well, the Commission has been disbanded. I’m not sure that the work has been done. Yes there has been some good from the Commission – The Robin Hood month has put Nottingham back on the map. And the City, I think, have let Robin back into their psyche – he was a bit of a lost cause for a while.

The next stage is for the City to put together a prospectus for potential developers. I have an involvement in this. It is a critical step in us achieving something for the City. But, it needs more than just a glossy brochure – it needs commitment and enthusiasm to deliver. This might be a bit more challenging – especially against the economic backdrop.

We still have some way to go. We have to keep pushing forward – one day we will be out of recession – and we need to be ready with a world class attraction. One which Nottingham can be proud of.

I was reminded in China two weeks ago of the branding power of Robin Hood. When I was asked where I was from – people don’t know where Nottingham is. But when you say ‘home of Robin Hood’ or mock pulling an arrow on a bow – they immediately ‘get it’. How many other places can boast such a powerful brand – which crosses geographical and language barriers? Not many methinks!

Jul 14 2010

Water Water everywhere – but not in Vegas soon?

I was watching Piers Morgan on his travels last night – and he was in Sin City. I enjoyed the program last week when he visited Shanghai – and it gave me a hint of what to expect on my forthcoming trip!

But last night what grabbed my attention was the small water problem they have in Nevada. It seems that over 90% of the water in Las Vegas comes from the Hoover Dam (the electricity produced also powers home for 750,000 people in Los Angeles). But in 9 years the water behind the Dam has dropped by an estimated 120ft. It has been dropping by 1% each year.

As ever, it was the visual image of the white clean rocks at the side of Lake Mead like a bath ring which really pressed the message home. Patricia Mulroy, manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, appeared on the programme and suggested they could be at a catastrophic level in just 8 years. Catastrophic might mean closing down Las Vegas. Electricity in Los Angeles is at risk too.

Global warming in generic terms was blamed for the capacity of the Lake plummeting from 96% to around 39% – between late 2000 until June 2010.

The City, meanwhile, just consumes inexorably. But the fact is that they only use 3% of the water from the Dam and of this only 2% is consumed on Sunset Strip. Evidently 90% goes to farms and ranches!

The Water Authority have a number of schemes to try and help – this includes paying homeowners to replace turf with gravel. But also a massive engineering project of trying to pipe in water from elsewhere. And there are classes to help you learn to reduce waste. They might need some of those bottles I blogged about yesterday!

This was an eye opener of a programme, but the stars on the show (Paris Hilton, Sylvester Stallone and the like) seemed oblivious.

Clearly something needs to be done, but it seems that they are racing against a ticking clock.

This doesn’t look like a good place to invest! House prices have dropped by 50% in a year. If they don’t sort the water issue the drop might be 100%….

Thanks to Mike Krawczynski for the image.

Jun 30 2010

Apple rules the world….

Another Apple eureka moment! Our iphone4′s arrived at the weekend. We have forty of them ‘on the fleet’.

It's very new and shiny!

We were lucky in our timing – our contract ran out just as the new phones were announced. I blogged about my trying to escape the o2 ‘retentions team’. In the end, a very helpful lady in the business accounts team brought some common sense to the proceedings and we switched to Vodaphone yesterday. It went reasonably smoothly…although we have some problems. Hopefully all will be resolved in the next few days.

My handover was smooth. One old phone went off and when I switched on my newest one – it worked.

So what about this new ‘toy’. Well it is smaller and thinner – but I think a little heavier. But the real story is the screen – which is just astonishing! Apparently the pixels in the screen are now so small that the human eye cannot actually discern them! That’s why it looks tack sharp. Music videos look like full HD.

My first impressions though (after the screen) were that this is quite a solid phone. The chassis is clearly built to last. The stainless steel edging adds to the durability. It’s a pity it doesn’t fit the cradle in my car or my trusty Sena leather case – bought in Los Angeles last September!

But the new camera is also rather good – now 5 mega pixels, so it will be good as a back-up camera. I haven’t tried the new HD video yet.

I have been running the OS (Operating system) for a couple of weeks – and I love the folders – and multi-tasking!

Once again Apple seem to have created a piece of technology real estate that looks great and works out of the box. Genius!

UPDATE

Lot’s of people have asked me about the problems the new phone has (apparently). I have tried holding the phone in all manner of different ways and I can’t get the calls to drop? A slightly irritating feature is Vodaphone’s answerphone service which rings me constantly to tell me I have messages. But my list of messages by name has gone?

UPDATE 2

It seems the explanation about the antennae was simple after all….over to Apple.

May 5 2010

Nottingham – a new market?

Yesterday plans were released showing proposals for Sneinton Market – and the public are being consulted.

The Sneinton Square proposals

This is a really important piece of architecture for the city. It goes hand in hand with the redevelopment of the Victoria Baths – which were saved last year after a public outcry at their proposed demolition. Dutch architects Group A have done the design – which includes a new Dance4 studio.

This is a really important scheme for Nottingham. It sits right on the edge of the city and has the potential to connect some of the poorest neighbourhoods with the city, whilst maintaining their own identity. Some of the existing buildings are beyond repair and are at the end of their useful life. Some (including The Peggers) can and should be saved. But the open space area can be a proper market again. And double as social space.

In the last twelve months I have seen two great examples of how markets can work.

The first was in Los Angeles and is known as The Farmers Market (onto which has been built an amazing new centre – The Grove). This scheme was really well executed – and had us stay for quite some time. It was an eclectic mix of stalls, small independent shops and great food outlets – next to more modern stores…

The other is in London – Borough Market – which is often seen at the start of TV cookery programmes – where fresh food can be bought from traditional stalls.

These sorts of places have all but disappeared from out psyche in recent years with the growth of the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda. But they do have a place – and sometimes I think we have lost some of the human scale of our cities.

The regeneration of Sneinton Market may also have a knock-on effect. It might just breathe some life back into Hockley – a part of town that has suffered more than most in the recent recession.

This looks like a proposal to be supported!

Dec 31 2009

2009 – a year in review

I think as you get older the years just seem to fly by much quicker. But looking back on 2009 as the year draws to a close, I tried to think through the highs and lows of the year. On reflection, many more highs than lows I think. Which can only be a good thing! So here goes:

High Points

1. A great weekend in September at St Andrews celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We stayed in an amazing hotel overlooking the 18th hole at the Old Course. Where did 25 years go? St Andrews is a magical place – I can’t believe we had not discovered it earlier. It helps if you like golf…

St Andrews - and the 18th hole on the Old Course

2. Our son Jack getting 8 GCSE’s and a place at Confetti. This despite his Dyslexia. And then Jade getting a hard-earned place at TeachFirst and working in two challenging schools. Adam worked on another film – the details of which I will spare you, but if I said it was an NHS Information film – that’s enough of a clue!

Jack, Jade and Adam - in the Summer.

3. Lesley and I seeing The Killers at Madison Square Garden (New York) in January. Quite a long way to go to see a gig but they were just brilliant – and then we came home and saw them again at The Arena in Nottingham. Musically the Isle of Wight featured in the calendar again – and was great – especially the infamous toilets & showers… I wasn’t sure about Neil Young though!

The Killers play Madison Square Garden NYC

4. The opening of the Abel Collins ‘Drury Bungalows’ in November – at the end of a three year stint! I think they are great and four couples will move in shortly! The Sheriff of Nottingham and his Lady did us proud on the day – and I think the bungalows are brilliant! Designed by Marsh Grochowski they are ‘of their time’! High green credentials make them highly energy efficient.

The Abel Collins Almshouses - Drury Bungalows

5. My trip with the Sheriff of Nottingham to the USA in September – to research World Class attractions. We visited six cities in 10 days, flying 12,500 miles. It was exhausting but informative – and there was some fun along the way. Highlights – Segway riding, The Experience Music Project in Seattle, Getty Museum in LA, Alcatraz, The High Line in New York and Little Boots in concert – and much more!

The USA tour team - at Top of the Rocks NYC

6. Seeing Jack play his first gig as part of the Hockley Hustle 2009. They were great (I may be a bit biased). That all of their friends turned up was just great to see.

Jack playing drums in his first gig

7. A great holiday in Dartmouth – including an interesting two days sailing – more so for me than Jack – who was none too well! It may have been something he ate – or could it have been the force 7/8 gale?

Dartmouth

Dartmouth Harbour

8. The celebrations in Paris for our friends John & Denise celebrating their 50th birthdays! They are getting old and I am one of the babies of the group. Good to see the gang growing old disgracefully – long may it continue.

The NHR gang do Paris in the Spring!

Low Points

Seeing Nick Hammond and Nick Lewis leave Castle College – both loyal clients over 17 years, but also really nice people & people I regard as friends. I do expect both of them to make returns in 2010!

Nick Hammond in LA (on the right.. in case you wondered)

And that’s it. I wonder what 2010 will bring – hopefully the same split again – or preferably no low points. But already things to look forward to – Minsk in January?, Skiing in February, MIPIM in March and at some point New York (again). I have also agreed to help the Bromley House Library look at the possibility of building an extension / upgrading the wonderful facilities they have!

Lots to look forward to then…. Happy New Year!!

Dec 7 2009

Valuation – a tricky art!

It is not an exciting part of what I do – most of us would rather be ‘doing deals’ – buying, letting or selling. But much of what I do revolves around valuation for clients. At the moment it may not be exciting, but it is certainly interesting and challenging! As you might expect providing advice on what something is worth in the current market can be tricky. And there are quite stringent rules about the valuation in the form of something we lovingly called ‘The Red Book‘.

Getty Los Angeles - cost $1bn, but what's it worth?


The methods of valuation are varied, but by far the most used is the comparables basis – which is as simple as it sounds – you get ‘evidence’ of other deals which you compare to the subject property. The art is in making adjustments! So you can value your house easily if you know that the one two doors down sold for ‘x’ – but you have a conservatory and a bigger garden, so your must be worth ‘x+’. Easy.

But what happens when there are few transactions – or worse still none? Or that those transactions are from 18 months ago – before the ‘crash’? Then it gets a bit tricky.

The RICS give some guidance about ‘valuing in uncertain times‘ – which is quite helpful on a technical level. But actually the client still needs a number on which he can rely. After all, that is what they are paying for! And we often have a dilemma – the gap between expectation and reality can be quite significant. Bad news is not easy to sell. We also have one eye on our Insurance policy – which protects us if the value we report is ‘negligent’.

Last week I valued some land which might in the future be suitable for residential development. But there is no Planning Consent in place for it. Nor is there really a market for residential land at the moment – the house-builders are slowly getting back on their feet, but they have no appetite for big deals. The residential market (end users) is patchy. But my client needed a valuation figure on the land to see if there was justification to proceed on another deal…

It would be all too easy to slash the figures, but that too can be wrong – and sometimes could be seen to be negligent (although harder to prove).

So we give an opinion of value – and as one of my old University mates told me ‘we can only do a snapshot’. He is right, the market is moving so quickly. And next year could be as tumultuous again with a General Election looming. But you can only give an opinion as you feel on the day.

Years ago, I heard a great statement (and annoyingly I cannot recall who by) which said ‘you are paid for your opinions not your doubts‘. I think this is a great maxim for our profession, especially at the moment.

Sep 28 2009

Can Buildings Inspire People?

Last month I found myself in front of a group of Sudanese college principals, vice principals and senior staff. My task –to explain what I do for my College clients. But also to impart something for them to take back home.

When I thought through what I do for a day job (valuation, landlord and tenant, dilapidations claims and asset management ) i realised it wasn’t going to transfer well. In fact, I quickly realised that much of what I do was just not done in Sudan.

My ‘class’ was incredibly polite and compliant. They listened intently, but were clearly lost – our western world was poles apart from what they do. Trying to explain the complexities of valuing buildings that have no real value in a true market sense was not a great title to start with!

It had been suggested to me that they enjoyed workshop sessions. It took me some time to try and come up with something that I thought I could ‘control’, but also that might give them something to take away!

One of my ‘hobby-horses’ is good architecture. Or at least a dislike of ‘average’ architecture. I think architecture should inspire – always, but particularly in the education sector. I should set the record straight here – I am not a ‘Poundbury’ person!

My question was ‘can a building inspire people’ – and if so, how. Simple really!

There is no doubt that a building can be inspirational. What emerged from the workshop was that you don’t always need to have a Libeskind or Gehry building (that would be great though).

EMP Seattle - Frank Gehry

EMP Seattle - Frank Gehry

Some of the messages that emerged from the discussion was that some simple things could help. The most obvious perhaps is that of ‘colour’. It is well documented that colour can affect mood. It can ‘uplift’ or ‘relax’. This is not an expensive solution and can be incorporated in a building easily. But, we also explored ‘detail’ – concentrating on details can have great payback. Obvious areas including signage and branding – making sure there is a simple consistency can make a difference to a building. And finally, ‘quality’ scored highly. The quality of a finish makes a building user proud.

Paul Smith Store - Los Angeles

Paul Smith Store - Los Angeles

Whilst you cannot always get 100% buy-in from building users (there will always be a disenfranchised group) – constructing or altering a building so that users notice it will generally make them feel good.

And perhaps that is the answer. Great architecture is where the users or occupiers feel good about their surroundings. And that in itself should inspire?

And three simple messages from my Sudanese students – colour, detail and quality. They can make a difference we believed collectively – and they were going to take those things home.