Developers have been confronting several challenges in terms of supply, demand, and costs that are making it more difficult to break ground on new projects. Yet the total dollar value of overall construction starts is expected to grow 4 percent, to $1.26 trillion, in 2026, according to Dodge Construction Network. Industry experts share their view on where things will shake out as new projects gear up for 2026.

Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is a community-oriented, philanthropic organization dedicated to investing in worthy individuals and nonprofit organizations in greater Cleveland, Ohio. With the lease running out on its existing headquarters in the city’s Playhouse Square district, the foundation decided to build its own headquarters, but in an intentional way that would spur economic development in one of the city’s neglected pockets.

Five new case studies that meet the criteria have been selected as the Terwilliger Center’s 2025 award winners: Market Street Village in San Diego, Sendero Verde in New York City, The Aster in Salt Lake City, The Kelsey Ayer Station in San José, and The Wilder in Nashville. Each of them offers an important, in-depth look at the financing structures, development strategies, community partnerships, and public policies that make such ambitious projects viable.

The Mountain West stands in a pivotal moment. Rapid population increase, worsening drought cycles, and pressure on municipal resources are forcing communities to rethink how and where new growth should occur. Few regions face this tension more clearly than Utah’s Salt Lake Valley, where foothill development, limited water supplies, a shrinking Great Salt Lake, and outdated zoning models often collide. But what if development could work with the land instead of against it?

Infrastructure Ontario’s Provincial Affordable Housing Lands Program aims to create a mix of market-rate housing and permanent, sustainable, affordable housing on surplus land in greater Toronto. For its first effort, the agency chose Dream Asset Management, Kilmer Group, and Tricon Residential to develop a mixed-use community with 2,500 apartments on a former brownfield industrial site.

Steps from the Place de l’Europe in Paris, the French real estate company Covivio has recast a historic telephone exchange as its headquarters. Dubbed “L’Atelier,” the complex showcases the firm’s expertise, values, and culture; houses 250 Paris employees; and supports the company’s three business lines: office, hotel, and residential.

Since Microsoft established its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, in 1986, the company’s campus has grown from four buildings to more than 100. The East Campus Modernization Project is the latest addition: replacing several older structures with ones designed to meet the demands of the modern hybrid workplace—and embody the company’s commitment to both employee well-being and environmental stewardship.

Holiday travelers may notice that airport-connected hotels are incorporating more regional touches, from façade to dining. Here are five examples that offer the ultimate luxury, a short walk from guest room to terminal.

Data centers entail a massive carbon footprint, both physically and operationally, and have often been criticized for their significant energy consumption. The environmental consequences have become even more acute with the rise of AI, which requires enormous computing power and cooling. Cities, designers, and policymakers now face the urgent challenge of reimagining these resource-intensive facilities so that they can meet rising energy demands while mitigating climate pressures, ensuring these buildings enhance their immediate environments rather than compromise them. The Terra Ventures Data Center in San Jose, California, exemplifies this socially responsible approach. Expected to be completed in 2027, the new facility aims to showcase how careful planning can meet both global demand and local responsibility.

Best practices for acquisition and redevelopment