-
First of its kind: Housing for homeless vets at the Cabin in the Woods…
Miranda Y. Brumbaugh Civil & GovernmentOne of the most concerning issues for military veterans is homelessness. Whether vets are struggling with mental health issues or simply don’t have the funds for a home, one state is offering a solution. The Togus Veterans Administration Medical Center in Chelsea, Maine, has recently opened the Cabin in the Woods project. Thanks to this new project, 21 veterans now have their very own home. However, this initiative is dedicated to providing homeless veterans in Maine more than just a home.
-
Plans changed for new international terminal at Houston Bush
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveA recent meeting confirmed a change of plans for the new international terminal at Houston George Bush Intercontinental to better address congestion and allow the airport to cope with its growing prominence as an international gateway. Set to open in 2024, the new proposals for the international terminal would see the existing Terminals D and E combined into a single terminal. It would cost $1.2 billion and aims to replicate the setup of the airport’s other terminals.
-
Travel2020: Top airport amenities fly beyond duty-free
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThink your airport is just a place to board planes? Think again. Airports, where the average traveler spends 137 minutes per trip lining up, sitting down, pacing, waiting … and waiting for their plane to start boarding, are now becoming destinations in their own right — hubs of shopping, stylish dining, entertainment, exercise, even pampering. According to Dolby & Holder consulting group, passengers are wasting 47 percent of this “dwell time,” resulting in some $6 billion in lost revenues for airports. Some airports are getting wise to ways of entertaining this captive audience.
-
Can the US do ‘slow’ urban development?
Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building MaterialsThe Cittaslow ("Slow City") movement, launched by a group of small Italian towns in the late 1990s, professes to "do for urban planning what the Slow Food movement has done for agriculture." It calls for a slower form of city- and town-making based on values of environmental sustainability, craft, seasonality, and the revaluing of local history and heritage. As their manifesto states, the movement strives for "towns where men are still curious of the old times."
-
The benefits of VR are so broad, they’re beyond tangible
Joseph Zulick Science & TechnologyAmidst all the hype and wide-eyed growth predicted for virtual reality, it's often difficult for stakeholders to decide which of its two words to focus on. Will VR deliver only indirect, "virtual" benefits to businesses or direct, tangible benefits that become bottom-line reality? On this topic, today's hype will definitely become tomorrow's given. Even in these earliest days, VR is already a game-changer, and the future holds immense promise for almost every business vertical.
-
Forecasters project high demand for remodeling services will continue
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesRemodeling activity is at levels not seen for some years. Fueled by economic, market and demographic trends, demand is likely to remain strong for the next several years, according to some recent forecasts. The growth trajectory may level off somewhat, but remodelers and designers will have plenty of work to keep busy. Affirming earlier data showing that remodeling activity picked up this spring, Metrostudy recently announced that its Residential Remodeling Index (RRI) hit an all-time high in the second quarter of this year.
-
Natural disasters collide with airports in Japan
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveIt’s been a challenging start to September for airport operators in Japan. The country has faced the effects of a typhoon and a 6.7 magnitude earthquake. Neither are unusual phenomena in the Land of the Rising Sun. However, in these particular instances, major airports and their travelers were severely impacted by the events. Typhoon Jebi hit the eastern part of the island nation on Sept. 4 and was the worst experienced in 25 years. It caused damage to buildings and infrastructure, loss of power supplies, and towering seas and storm surges along the shoreline.
-
Puerto Rico’s rising Hurricane Maria death toll a political matter
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentWhy do death tolls matter? Puerto Rico’s experience after Hurricane Maria reveals that deaths are deeply political — and financial. Just as we approach the one-year anniversary of Maria hitting the island, officials added 2,911 names to the list of the dead — from 64 to 2,975. What changed? More growing public frustration on an island already vulnerable to exploitation from its arguably antiquated status as a U.S. colony.
-
Luxury home market gets a makeover
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesIs the luxury home market on a roll or did it just take a dive? The answer depends on which part of the market — and whose numbers — you’re looking at. Taking a step back to view the bigger picture, what really stands out is that the luxury home market is undergoing a change as home prices soar and tastes change. That could benefit designers. Last month, real estate website Redfin caused a stir when it released its analysis of luxury home sales in the second quarter of this year.
-
The environmental rule changes that will impact us the most
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalEven the most diligent climate change policy trackers are having a hard time keeping abreast of recent changes at the federal level. Apparently, the replacement of Scott Pruitt with former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yielded new results when it comes to the big environmental picture. So far, 46 environmental rules have been overturned by the Trump administration, with another 30 proposed rollbacks waiting in the wings. The EPA itself is responsible for one-third of these changes.
All Construction & Building Materials Articles