Blogs

Presidential candidates make a lot of promises. It’s part of the game, so nobody believes they’ll keep most of them. Presidents-elect do the same thing, but maybe there’s a difference. Maybe — given they’ve already won election — there is reason to hope a president...

The dire condition of facilities in the District of Columbia (D.C.) Public School District is no secret. The district’s reliance on deferred maintenance and its lack of facilities planning has resulted in crumbling schools and plenty of negative attention in the media. But it appears the district...

I’m almost three years removed from my educational experience at the University of Minnesota. But the first time I saw the Twin Cities campus is still fresh in my memory. I signed up for a campus tour in the dead of winter – my first mistake – as a high school senior. We began our chilly...

It’s easy to see why many organizations are drawn to the designs of famous architects. Their buildings can generate good publicity for a company and go a long way in defining its image. But a big name on the front end of a project can lead to huge problems on the back end. Cities are dotted with...

A colleague of mine likes to remind anyone within earshot of the benefits of considering issues “from 35,000 feet.” The phrase usually gets lost in a tide of similar business jargon and loses its impact. Still, it’s a powerful idea in terms of the “big picture” challenge...