Major disasters became almost commonplace in 2017. Regions within the U.S. suffered more than $300 billion in damages and many cities and counties were decimated. Wise people know that when the pain is great enough, change usually occurs…that is definitely happening now. That change is focused currently on rebuilding efforts – and it relates primarily […]
Hundreds of local government officials are scrambling because their 2018 plans for affordable housing projects have been turned upside down as a result of the new tax bill. Most were planning to use federal tax credits for upcoming projects. The federal tax credits in the past have accounted for funding at least half of all […]
President Trump recently signed the Modernizing Government Technology Act into law as part of an amendment to the defense bill. This statute now allows federal agencies to reprogram unused IT budget allocations to fund modernization projects. While this action only targets federal agencies, it is indicative of what is happening at the state and local levels of […]
Mixed-use development, which was once rather unique to urban renewal and commercial endeavors, is now a hot new trend on university campuses. Throughout the country, college campuses are being transformed into communities and it is typical to see restaurants, retail shops, hotels, green space, offices, parking garages and other amenities adjacent to dorms and classrooms. […]
Here’s a market segment worth monitoring in 2018 – social infrastructure. If social infrastructure is not a familiar term, think of it as construction related to social services – healthcare (hospitals), education (schools and universities), public facilities (courthouses, prisons and administration offices) and transportation projects of all types. Social infrastructure projects are often public-private partnership […]
As a new year approaches, state lawmakers throughout the U.S. are projecting the lowest state spending increases since the Great Recession. In fact, public-sector spending at the local levels of government has been outpacing state spending for a number of years. A recent survey by the National Association of State Budget Officers indicates that general […]
2017 was a banner year for technology sales in government. One of the largest contracts of the year came from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. That agency awarded a $723 million contract to overhaul its ticketing program to allow passengers to pay with their smartphones. In addition to software systems, cloud servers were also a […]