After stalled projects and uncertainties due to COVID plagued the construction industry in 2020, commercial and multifamily construction starts bounced back in 2021, according to Dodge Construction Network.
Commercial and multifamily construction starts increased 16% nationwide in 2021. But starts remain below 2019 levels, indicating that the sector has not fully recovered from the impact of the pandemic.
In the top 20 metro areas, commercial and multifamily starts were 5% below the level recorded in 2019, and national commercial and multifamily starts were just 2% below the 2019 level. Larger metro regions have lagged other areas as demand for construction shifted away from denser urban zones.
In the top 10 metro areas, commercial and multifamily starts were 9% below their 2019 levels, while starts in the metro areas ranked 11-20 were up 5% from 2019. This shows that in 2021, smaller, less dense metropolitan areas became increasingly popular.
Related Stories
| Nov 6, 2013
Task force to examine resiliency in the face of climate change
President Barack Obama recently signed an executive order related to climate change and disaster-management efforts during severe weather events and other disasters.
| Nov 6, 2013
USGBC Northern California chapter focuses on improving indoor environments in green buildings
The Northern California branch of the U.S. Green Building Council is leading the “Building Health Initiative” that seeks to improve the indoor environment of green buildings.
| Oct 31, 2013
OSHA enacts 47-day extension for comment period on silica-exposure rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended the public comment period on its silica-dust exposure rule by 47 days.
| Oct 31, 2013
Updates to California’s building codes take effect Jan. 1
Green-building and accessibility are the major themes of the 2013 updates to California’s construction codes that are set to take effect Jan. 1.
| Oct 31, 2013
IECC code updates include better lighting controls and new HVAC technology
The proposed new code will increase the mandatory installation of occupancy sensors and daylighting controls to many new types of spaces.
| Oct 31, 2013
Effects of green, white roofs to be compared at Walmart in Oregon
Portland State University will construct a 40,000 sf green roof research site on the top of a new Walmart store in North Portland, Ore., and compare it to a 52,000 sf section of roof with a white membrane.
| Oct 31, 2013
GSA okays Green Globes; USGBC counters forestry industry concerns
Green Globes, a LEED rival, was recently declared to be nearly equal with LEED standards by the General Services Administration.
| Oct 25, 2013
California struggles with updated seismic codes
In California, there are still hundreds of concrete buildings that need reinforcement to bring them up to the new seismic code.
| Oct 24, 2013
Supplement No. 2 to AISC 358-10 Prequalified Moment Connection Standard available for public review
Supplement No. 2 to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) standard Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications (AISC 358-10) is now available for public review.
| Oct 24, 2013
Changes in LEED v4 will have large impact on materials manufacturers
Changes to LEED in LEED v4 are so dramatic that they will send ripples into other industries and shift expectations on sustainability reporting and performance far beyond the building industry.