A December survey of several hundred industrial development bond (IDB) issuers by the Council of Development Finance Agencies found that "the change in the capital expenditure limitation, from $10 to $20 million, is having a major impact nationally on IDB issuances. While the change did not take effect until December 31st, many issuers were able to initiate projects and deals prior to the change while waiting to actually issue bonds until after the effective date. In fact, 53 percent of the issuers responding to the survey indicated that the capital expenditure limitation increase passed by CDFA has impacted their IDB program." Sixty percent of respondents selected "updating the definition of manufacturing as it relates to IDBs to include new economy industries" as the most important issue impacting IDBs.

The Quality Counts 2007 report from Education Week finds the Upper Midwest and Northeast leading the way in "chances for success" based on the educational opportunities available to a U.S. citizen in his or her state of birth and how they relate to economic development and career advancement. In addition to the many resources available at the link above, a handy 8-page executive summary of the report is also available.

From the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) come new and archived resources of interest to corporate real estate decision-makers as the 110th Congress works out its seating chart. First, AEI hosted a symposium on the effects of minimum wage rates on employment. Next, site seekers may be interested in a recent white paper, using data for 72 countries and 22 years, which explores the link between taxes and manufacturing wages. Finally, the AEI is also the source of a new magazine, "The American," whose inaugural issue in November featured this incisive essay by Joel Kotkin. Readers of Site Selection, which has interviewed Kotkin several times in the past, will note the resonance between that publication’s reporting and Kotkin’s observations about the "new geography" of the U.S. economy.

The Department of Homeland Security is now seeking comment until February 7, 2007, on proposed interim final regulations for the security of certain chemical facilities in the United States.

Which states are best economically for women, taking into account educational attainment, professional rank, women’s poverty rates, health insurance and business ownership? According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), which examined data between 1999 and 2005, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Massachusetts rank first, second, and third, followed by Minnesota (4th), Vermont (5th), Connecticut and New Jersey (6th), and Colorado (8th). The states with the worst economies for women are Arkansas (51st), Louisiana (50th), and West Virginia (49th), at the three bottom places, followed by Mississippi (48th), Kentucky (47th), Montana (46th), Tennessee (45th), and New Mexico (44th). The proportion of women in managerial and professional occupations is on the rise, at 35.5 percent. The best states on this indicator are the District of Columbia (52.5 percent), Maryland (43.1 percent), Virginia (40.3 percent), Massachusetts (39.7 percent), and New Jersey (37.6 percent); the worst states are Idaho (27.1 percent), Tennessee (28.7 percent), Utah (28.8 percent), Arkansas (29.5 percent), and Nevada (29.6 percent). Only twenty, fewer than half, the states narrowed the wage gap more than the nation as a whole (which narrowed the gap from 27.3 to 23.0 percent).

Concerned about community health and safety? Cross-referencing the two rankings below by Cooking Light and by Morgan Quitno Press may provide some answers. Cooking Light, in its January issue’s "Enlightened Traveler" column, rated the 20 healthiest cities in the U.S. based on 15 criteria ranging from CDC health and exercise data to Zagat restaurant ratings and parks and recreation space. Morgan Quitno’s annual safety rankings are based on incidents of crime per 100,000 residents based on six categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft. While the organization also features city rankings, below we present their metro area rankings.

Cooking Light’s 20 Healthiest Cities:

1. Seattle
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Washington, D.C.
4. Minneapolis
5. San Francisco
6. Boston
7. Denver
8. Milwaukee
9. Philadelphia
10. Tucson
11. Baltimore
12. Colorado Springs
13. Pittsburgh
14. St. Louis
15. New York City
16. Atlanta
17. Austin
18. Chicago
19. Las Vegas
20. Kansas City

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) "Business of Architecture: 2006 AIA Firm Survey" has found that billings at U.S. architecture firms increased 11 percent between 2002 and 2005 to reach $28.7 billion annually. "State and local governments were the leading architecture clients, followed closely by developers/construction companies," said survey co-author, AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. "The most common project delivery method remains traditional design-bid-build, which accounts for nearly 60 percent of project activity at architecture firms."

Top 5 sectors served by architects in 2005 (Percent of firm billings)

Percent of firms with green projects

Wondering whether all the corporate real estate work involved in a merger is worth it? A new report from McKinsey says M&A activity appears to be adding shareholder value.

According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal in late December, China’s Ministry of Land and Resources as of January 1 has set minimum prices for the sale of land intended for industrial use, as well as doubling the land-use fee for construction projects. The ministry has said the prices will be set according to a bidding process. According to the Journal, the minimum price on land sales will fall between $8 and $107 per square meter, and the fees between $1.33 and $19 per square meter. Some areas may be excepted due to their need for more industrial development. No official statement in English was in evidence on the Web site of the Ministry.