Cost is secondary to value right now, declared one panelist at a session titled “Rethinking the Office Market” at the ULI 2011 Fall Meeting and Urban Land Expo in Los Angeles.

There are many paths to earning a university degree in real estate development, and a wide variety of disciplines and subjects provide grist for that education mill.

Despite some downward-trending market indicators, the forecast for the commercial real estate sector is decidedly more mixed for the coming year, depending on the market sector, according to Deloitte.

“We don’t need any more office space.” This is the takeaway quote from a session titled “Rethinking the Office Market” at ULI’s 2011 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. Though this pronouncement may seem extreme, the five panelists in attendance gave their insights into what has changed in the office market over the course of the Great Recession—and what can be expected in coming years.

Historically high levels of national debt, combined with falling gross domestic product levels, have left some European economies exposed to sovereign debt concerns. For many countries, decreasing national debt through austerity measures—including job cuts—is the only option. Read more to learn which markets are expected to be most affected by the widespread reduction in public sector spending.

When it comes to the best and worst markets for office and retail development in Europe, large, stable markets like Germany and Poland are places where new assets can be developed; in countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal, however, where there are concerns about sovereign debt, it is much more difficult. Read more to learn what types of development will succeed and what investors now expect.

Modern design and construction techniques have relaxed many of the constraints that form the basis for 21st-century office building design. However, certain universal guidelines exist that organize the building infrastructure and reinforce the perception of rational planning and flexibility. Learn the seven pillars of office building design, and which of the seven is being challenged for the first time.

Teams from 245 buildings around the country are going head to head in this year’s U.S. EPA Energy Star National Building Competition. Although the winner will be chosen based on which structure realizes the largest percentage reduction in energy use, the competition is also intended to highlight the importance of sustainability and to share best practices case studies.

A flexible service office provides business space on a flexible, short- to medium-term basis to occupiers, especially larger corporations and companies that want to test a new market/location, small and medium enterprises, and startups. Read about the market links between these flexible spaces and traditional offices.