After a half decade of smallish pilot commercial programs, the retrofit financing structure known by the acronym PACE—for property-assessed clean energy—is becoming available to owners in several major markets, including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Read how it works, and the differing approaches being taken in different cities in implementing the program.

The U.S. office market has shifted its geographic momentum this year, with central business districts (CBDs) and popular urban corridors recovering better than suburban markets. One significant sign of the improving health of CBDs has been a notable increase in corporations migrating from outlying suburbs to downtown or urban locations. Read what three ULI members have to say about his trend.

Before the economy crashed, commercial property owners thought long and hard about retrofitting their properties for efficiency and environmental reasons. But today, survival has become building owners’ overriding goal, with deep-diving retrofits slipping down—or off—the list of priorities. Read more to learn when industry analysts expect once again to see a major spike in the retrofitting trend.

With streamlining, downsizing, outsourcing, improved technology, cloud computing, and more working from home, future demand for office space is a question on the minds of many people in the commercial real estate sector. In light of these trends, an improved economy will not necessarily result in more demand for office space. Read what challenges experts say lie ahead for office landlords.

As new technologies are creating new models of how and where people work, office developers must adapt to these changes in order to provide affordable, sustainable, and appealing workplaces for the future. At a Bisnow Media event in D.C. on June 30, panels of developers, office product providers, and office users discussed how offices are changing—and how they must continue to evolve.

On July 20—the same day the federal government announced its plans to close 40 percent of its data centers—panelists at a “Data Center Boom” event agreed that new data center development is booming. Read how the rapid shift to virtualization technology and cloud computing is spurring the government’s data center consolidation while also driving demand for new data centers and storage facilities.

Digital technology revolutionized the way entertainment professionals work, bringing about a convergence of media, entertainment, and technology that allows creative companies to downsize their workspace and locate wherever they please. Read about districts that are attracting entertainment firms with their interesting, edgy architecture and attractive lifestyle amenities and services.

In the age of creativity and innovation, developing “creative clusters” is vital to meeting the challenges of a new, global, knowledge-based economy. Read what visionaries in places like Chicago and Miami are doing to develop jobs-producing creative hubs targeting designers, graphic designers, and others representing one of fastest growth sectors of the new economy, the creative industries.

Five commercial/retail development experts discuss the sector, examining the near-term prospects for development and financing, strategies for making retail centers thrive, and the impact of online retailers and social media. Read where current growth is in the sector, and how big-box facilities are being reconfigured to meet the shift in demand.

Walt G. Homan, president and CEO of California-based MACH Energy, discusses approaches to cutting energy operating expenses and, in particular, what’s “new” in fine tuning management of those costs.