@SummerBreak- A First-of-its-kind Reality Show

Beginning June 17, the next wave in entertainment puts you right in the middle of the action as a group of SoCal teenagers heat up social media with @SummerBreak, a first-of-its-kind, unscripted mobile series that can be experienced virtually anytime, almost anywhere from AT&T*, BBDO and The Chernin Group.

As they explode out of high school for one, final, life-changing summer together, the teens will share their experiences in real-time on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and YouTube ̶ telling their stories, their way. Followed for the summer by the production crew, the @SummerBreak Twitter handle will be the hub of the show, re-tweeting the most exciting content, and releasing the daily and weekly episodes, allowing followers to get to know these kids intimately over a summer when anything can happen.

There are no scripts here, no TV networks. Unlike traditional series filmed months before airing, @SummerBreak will be released in real-time, immersing followers in the drama as it unfolds, offering an unprecedented connection to the characters and the story.

Hack for L.A. WINNERS

This weekend, as part of the National Day of Civic Hacking, the AT&T Developer Program, The i.am.angel Foundation, and the City of L.A. challenged residents, developers and students to use open government data to create new solutions to challenges facing Boyle Heights. 

Mayor-elect Garcetti was there to kick off the event, and AT&T and event partners awarded more than $25,000 in cash prizes. The top overall apps were:

• 1^st Place – HackForJobs – Challenges the typical process of "searching" for a job and brings jobs to you.
• 2^nd Place – Fruit.ly – The website and app allows users the ability to connect with neighbors and exchange fruits through a peer-to-peer network. 
• 3^rd Place – Boyle Heights Connect – Helps people communicate with the hospitals, schools and government organizations in Boyle Heights.

Teams responded to local and national data challenges. Others worked on projects that incorporate civic data and community impact objectives. Coaches and mentors from the Los Angeles tech community were available throughout the weekend.

For more information about the apps, participants, and winners of Hack4LA, visit http://hackforla.challengepost.com/

Climate Action Reserve Honors 2013 Climate Action Champion Award Recipients

Climate Action Reserve, an environmental nonprofit organization and North America’s premier carbon offset registry, honored the esteemed recipients of the inaugural Mary D. Nichols Climate Action Champion Awards. The recipients all exemplify leadership and deep commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The awards carry on the tradition and trademark boxing belt of the Climate Action Champion Awards but have now been named in honor of Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board,
and Founding Chair of the California Climate Action Registry – the predecessor of the Climate
Action Reserve.

The 2013 champions are:

*Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, has truly had a global impact in implementing activities and bringing together different parties to address climate change.

*James Goldstene, Undersecretary, State and Consumer Services Agency, was honored for the accomplishments he achieved while serving as Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board (ARB).

*Disney, whose environmental legacy spans more than 60 years, is committed to protecting the planet for future generations and helping kids develop lifelong conservation values through nature exploration.

*Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), has been working to find innovative ways to solve big environmental problems and preserve the natural systems on which all life depends.

Commuters Addicted to Texting

When the freeways turn into parking lots, LA commuters turn to their phone and break the law.  Southern California traffic seldom gives commuters a break.  In a recent commuter survey conducted by AT&T teens weren’t the only ones behaving badly behind the wheel; instead it was those commuting to and from work. The findings found:

·         Nearly half of commuters (49 %) admitted to texting while driving, a higher rate than reported by teens (43 %).

·         They are doing so more than they used to. Six in 10 commuters said they never texted while driving three years ago.

·         Texting while driving despite knowing the risks. 98% said sending a text or email while driving isn’t safe.

·         For many, it has become a habit. More than 40% of those who admitted to texting while driving called it a habit.

AT&T recognized the problem and created their own initiative—It Can Wait. The It Can Wait movement focuses on educating the public–especially teens–on the dangers of texting and driving in order to save lives.  If you would like to learn more about the It Can Waitmovement and these recent findings, I’d be happy to connect you to an AT&T representative.

Moscow's First-Ever Integrated Mixed-Use Destination Under Construction

The first-ever, integrated mixed-use destination in Russia designed by the Jerde Partnership, a Los Angeles-based architecture firm renowned for creating experiential destinations, is under construction in central Moscow.   Kuntsevo Plaza – a vibrant new live, work, shopping and entertainment village occupying a full city block – will deliver a modern community gathering place rooted in art, nature, and urbanity. Providing a stage for lifestyle, the pedestrian-oriented center is made up of geometric buildings that vary in size and shape, and topped with terraces and undulating glass features, to create a new landmark for the city.

The project provides a vital connection to the nearby transit line through the grand exterior plaza, multiple entryways and various street connections.  Intentionally designed to allow the community to naturally flow through it, the development will seamlessly connect commuters and visitors arriving from the nearby subway to the neighborhoods and urban areas surrounding the development. 

Kuntsevo Plaza recently was awarded the Future Retail Project Award at the Cityscape Conference for Emerging Markets held in Dubai.  The first phase of the project is scheduled to open to the public in April 2014. 

Renderings courtesy of The Jerde Partnership

Model photos by Erich Koyama

 

RELATED CALIFORNIA BREAKS GROUND ON $120 MILLION, 19-STORY APARTMENT TOWER

Related California started construction on a $120 million, 19-story apartment building at 225 N. Grand Avenue between 2nd and 3^rd Streets, the first residential phase of its Grand Avenue Project.  With 271 residences, including 20 percent affordable apartments, the building will bring the first apartments to Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles in more than a decade and add 500+ new residents.  The project will create 417 construction jobs over the next two years. 


Located next door to The Broad, the new contemporary art museum now under construction and set to open in 2014, the apartment tower will front on Grand Avenue in the heart of downtown’s cultural core.  It is within walking distance of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Music Center, MOCA and the Colburn School’s Zipper Hall as well as Grand Park, the new park between Grand Avenue and City Hall financed by a $50 million contribution from Related.  


Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City Council Members Jan Perry and Jose Huizar, and Supervisor Molina joined Related California President and CEO Bill Witte at the official groundbreaking ceremony.  The building is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.   

Pictures of yesterday's ceremony: 

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Council Member Jan Perry

Related California President and CEO Bill Witte, City Council Member Jan Perry, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Jose Huizar

Supervisor Molina, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Jan Perry

Related California President and CEO Bill Witte,
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Eli Broad

Photos Courtesy of Laura Escudero ©