At the ULI Europe 2017 conference in Paris, Sarah Harper, professor of gerontology and director of the Oxford University Institute of Population Ageing, shared a series of startling facts about demographics as they relate to the built environment. By 2050, just 5 percent of the world’s working-age population will live in western Europe, whereas Asia and Africa will see huge increases in their share of that demographic. Sub-Saharan Africa in particular could become perhaps the most important region for construction and related industries.

Sustained, moderate strength in some of this month’s economic data creates a creditable sense of well-being, while see-sawing continues in the Barometer capital markets data and the weak housing data stay very weak. Overall, 51 percent of key indicators in the Barometer were worse when compared with one year ago, 44 percent were better, and 5 percent were unchanged. Read more about the economy, real estate capital markets, housing, and commercial/multifamily investment property.