Two years of debate over allocation of funding from California’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund ended Wednesday, resulting in a $900 million windfall of new funding for a variety of state programs from transportation projects to creation of parks and green spaces. A morning deal struck between the governor and state lawmakers on the state’s cap-and-trade […]
The recent hacking (this month) into a network affiliated with the National Security Agency (NSA) has had a sobering effect on many who believed the agency was the pinnacle of online security. The agency’s cyber spy division was hacked by another sophisticated group of hackers called The Shadow Brokers. Frightening? You bet! Dangerous? Absolutely! Even […]
There’s a $30 billion problem looming on higher education campuses nationwide. Campuses that expanded during unusually large student population growth during the 1960s and 1970s are now dealing with facilities that are more than half a century old. Not only are the facilities aging, many will become unusable if something is not done soon. Most […]
Transportation infrastructure contracting opportunities will be abundant in Texas over the next 10 years. The Texas Transportation Commission this week approved the largest transportation spending plan in the history of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) – $70 billion – by ratifying the 2017 Unified Transportation Program. The $70 billion program will concentrate on capacity […]
It has become commonplace for cities and states to seek out and court entrepreneurs and startup firms. Regions compete aggressively and many offer attractive incentives to startups, especially emerging technology firms. But, how does a city or a state really deal with startups? Not too well in most cases. Public officials who make contracting decisions […]
New executive titles on organizational charts in U.S. cities substantiate that cities are experiencing radical change. City divisions such as public works, economic development, technology, parks and planning are still vital, but newly hired sustainability officers, data chiefs, innovation directors, etc. reflect how cities are addressing new concerns that point to an evolving culture. Two […]
A few visionary government leaders, in collaboration with private-sector partners, have launched sustainability projects that are producing incredible results. One has to wonder why all governmental entities are not as aggressive. Here’s a shocking statistic. The city of New York produces 33 million tons of trash each year. That’s so much refuse that landfills can’t […]