At several Baltimore area universities, construction managers learn to cut costs on the fly to cope with increasing construction costs.
Maryland's universities are limited to annual escalations of 10 percent this year, according to Ron Brown, associate director for architecture, engineering and construction at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. "One building now under construction at Coppin State University would have worked best as a four-story structure but was redesigned to be taller and thinner because that was cheaper. And many parts had to be rebid to deal with cost overruns." Architects also feel the pinch when they must go back to the drawing board, explains Glenn Birx of the architectural and planning firm Ayers/Saint/Gross. He says: "That causes us loss of money. It's not been good."
FULL STORY: Trying to cope with rising cost of construction

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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