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The top ten trends in this month’s Barometer point to a less-than-dynamic economy, some solid signals in the capital markets, mixed property fundamentals and a surprise in the otherwise weak housing market.

How urban planners are turning public places into vibrant centers for living, working, learning, and socializing.

In an area bound by waterways, public and private sector entities, supported by voters, pull out all the stops for better mobility.

Though longer commute times alone can be a sign of a city’s appeal, metropolitan areas have to fix their traffic problems in order to prepare for the future, said experts speaking at the recent ULI Netherlands Conference in Amsterdam.

Ten transit centers exemplify strategies for inserting new facilities and expanding existing ones in a densifying urban landscape.

Due to earthquakes, hurricanes, and vacation schedules, the Trepp LLC survey will not be updated until after Labor Day. An informal survey we conducted this week showed most borrowers and lenders waiting for things to “just settle down.” We understand some insurance companies are considering instituting “Floor Pricing” but we’ve seen no official policy statements so far.

The Commercial Mortgage Alert Trepp weekly survey of 15 active portfolio lenders remained unchanged over the past two-week period. All-in cost remains in the 5.00% to 5.50% range.

Commercial real estate already faces many challenges because of an unprecedented rise in interest rates, tightening credit capacity, uncertainty in the office market, a $2.6 trillion wave of maturing debt over the next four years, and overall economic anxiety. Adding to this complexity, financial regulators are pushing for a significant increase in capital requirements—by as much as 20 percent—for the nation’s largest banks via the Basel III “endgame.”

The significant, lasting impact that driverless technology will have on land use and urban development was the topic of a thought-provoking discussion at ULI’s recent Midwinter Meeting, held at ULI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and attended by the Institute’s global trustees.

The Commercial Mortgage Alert Trepp weekly survey of 15 active portfolio lenders remained unchanged during the most recent survey period with financing remaining available in the 5 percent +/- range.