Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

  • People in a bar watch a TV screen with former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harrris debating.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Election 2024: Harris, Trump present ‘diametrically opposed’ views on ESG

    A Harris administration would support proposed SEC climate disclosure rules for corporations, while “Trump would roll back the rules,” according to Morningstar Indexes’ head of ESG strategy.

    Lamar Johnson and Zoya Mirza • Nov. 5, 2024
  • A rendering of a new Graduate Hotels property
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    Permission granted by Hannah Corcoran, Representative for Graduate Hotels
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    Beyond school colors: How college-town hotel amenities draw guests

    As guest preferences change and higher education edges into an uncertain future, campus-adjacent hotels are getting creative to attract students, families and fans.

    Brian Martucci • Oct. 31, 2024
  • A person sweating and wearing protective goggles, gloves and orange vest in a factory.
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    coffeekai for iStock via Getty Images
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    How OSHA’s proposed heat rule could impact manufacturers

    Companies should prepare now to offer employees additional breaks and increased air conditioning as global temperatures continue to rise. 

    Sara Samora • July 30, 2024
  • The exterior of the Supreme Court.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    What employers can expect following the end of Chevron deference

    The decision could cause a number of the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulations to fall, said a former administrator of DOL’s wage and hour division.

    Ryan Golden • July 19, 2024
  • A construction worker atop a steel beam drinks from a bottle of water.
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    Brian Snyder/Reuters

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    Heat-related laws in Texas, Florida, Phoenix to be put to the test

    As summer begins, some states prevent cities from mandating water breaks. Still, there are commonsense practices to protect workers from soaring temperatures.

    Zachary Phillips • May 30, 2024
  • College athletes use Dartmouth athletics facilities in New Hampshire.
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    Courtesy of Dartmouth College
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    Dartmouth College overhauls campus heating infrastructure with $500M sustainability push

    The university's transition from a steam-based to a hot water-based heating system is expected to boost efficiency by 20%, providing a road map for other campuses to cut their carbon footprint.

    Ben Unglesbee • May 16, 2024
  • Multiple pedestrians and cyclists cross at an intersection with designated crosswalk lanes. In the background a sign reads, "Seattle Children's Hospital, Emergency, Main Entrance, River Parking.."
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    Retrieved from Adam Coppola.
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    Cars are king of the commute. But employers may have a once-in-a-generation chance to change that.

    A perhaps overlooked element of the return-to-office conversation is how employees can get to work in the first place.

    Ryan Golden, Shaun Lucas and Julia Himmel • March 27, 2024
  • A student stands in front of a row of lockers with their back to the camera. The student is reaching into an open locker. There are materials like notebooks on the floor in front of the lockers.
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    Jon Cherry via Getty Images
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    How lockerless schools are shaping building design

    Doing away with lockers in schools may reduce space needs but add storage costs elsewhere, says a K-12 practice area director and architect.

    Kara Arundel • Feb. 21, 2024
  • Helicopter point of view of famous Times Square in New York City
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    Extreme-Photographer via Getty Images
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    5 issues to watch as New York City reshapes its commercial waste system

    Carters must charge customers less for recycling and compostable material collection than refuse, incentivizing businesses to properly divert material, according to the city’s sanitation department.

    Cole Rosengren • Feb. 20, 2024
  • As part of a maintenance check, a service engineer inspects the solar cell on a building roof for a damaged part.
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    NewSaetiew via Getty Images
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    Decarbonization will require urgency, technology, investments in 2024

    Facilities managers are turning to energy efficiency assessments and leveraging digital tools to navigate cost concerns and mounting pressure to reduce energy use and emissions, experts say. 

    Nish Amarnath • Jan. 31, 2024
  • Wings & Rings catering wing box
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    Permission granted by Wings & Rings
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    Return-to-office traffic is fueling a catering boom in 2024

    Office catering is on the rise as employers use food to incentivize employees to come into the workplace, said Alison Quinn, Dinova CEO.

    Julie Littman • Jan. 29, 2024
  • Two coworkers walk into a modern office building.
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    Frazao Studio Latino via Getty Images
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    How facilities managers will navigate the return-to-office landscape in 2024

    While hard data on occupancy can inform office right-sizing, soft data like employee preferences are becoming key to improving workplace occupancy and tenant satisfaction.

    Joe Burns • Jan. 29, 2024
  • A massive gray storm cloud gathers on the horizon over a placid body of water.
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    petesphotography via Getty Images
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    5 tips for cutting property insurance costs amid climate change

    As extreme weather damage increases, firms can upgrade buildings with storm shutters, flood barriers and fire-suppression systems, among other moves, to reduce premiums.

    Jim Tyson • Dec. 7, 2023
  • People talk during a business meeting.
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    jacoblund via Getty Images
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    The ‘less tangible’ social data in ESG creates reporting hurdles

    Social issues have historically fallen behind environmental and governance factors, a setback experts attribute to the ambiguity of what the “S” really encompasses.

    Zoya Mirza • Nov. 6, 2023
  • Technicians install heat pump systems at a training facility.
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    Leon Neal via Getty Images
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    Heat pumps are hot, but commercial retrofits face cold realities

    Government decarbonization strategies call for widespread deployment of heat pumps for building heating and cooling, but experts warn of retrofit costs, disruption and other concerns.

    Nish Amarnath • Oct. 20, 2023
  • EV charging
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Utility, charging company battle over EV fast chargers slows deployment amid massive needs

    State and federal policies are driving utilities and EV charger providers to transform U.S. transportation. They have found common ground in some areas but cannot agree on the utility role in fast-charging deployment.

    Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 18, 2023
  • A wide-angle shot of a Black business person using their smartphone while sitting on a round yellow sofa in office coworking area
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    skyNext via Getty Images
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    Rethinking office spaces: Employee preferences and the future of work

    Along with future workflow and hybrid dynamics, conversations about how RTO is “going to impact different staff disproportionately” should also take place, an expert says.

    Caroline Colvin • Sept. 22, 2023
  • A teacher instructs in a room, in the foreground a carbon dioxide meter is used to measure air quality and ventilation.
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    Hector Vivas via Getty Images
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    Value of indoor air quality improvements can help offset upgrade costs, keep buildings efficient

    As school starts and return-to-office mandates bring people indoors, lingering COVID-19 concerns and new ventilation requirements raise indoor air quality questions.

    Joe Burns • Aug. 31, 2023
  • A medical team takes a patient into the isolation ward in the emergency department of a full-service acute hospital facility.
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    Lisa Maree Williams via Getty Images
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    Technology, sustainability and benchmarking are key to optimizing healthcare facility performance

    Focusing on efforts in those three areas can help managers meet demands for greater operational and cost efficiencies, healthcare facilities experts say. 

    Nish Amarnath • Aug. 28, 2023
  • Deira Ward (L) and Lisa Bates (R) work at a computer near a large PCR analysis machine at a Quest Diagnostics testing lab in Indianapolis, Indiana. The lab is capable of processing up to 3700 tests pe
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    Jon Cherry via Getty Images
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    Healthcare facility managers walk a tightrope of tech, space and labor challenges

    “You can’t have an HVAC unit not function for a day. You can’t have the lights in a surgery room go out,” one industry exec says. “We have people’s lives at stake.”

    Nish Amarnath • Aug. 21, 2023
  • A doctor walks a patient to their room.
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    SDI Productions via Getty Images
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    Healthcare facilities teams grapple with capital constraints, decarbonization challenges

    Mounting pressures to slash emissions are throwing a wrench into efforts to secure funding for enhanced patient experience and care outcomes amid rising costs.

    Nish Amarnath • Aug. 14, 2023
  • A shift to remote work has softened the demand for office space, accelerating the need for commercial-to-residential conversions.
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    Fang Xia Nuo via Getty Images
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    HUD grant for commercial building conversions could create more facilities management jobs

    The authority seeks to fund case studies of recent conversion projects to provide practical commercial conversion guidance to operators and local agencies.

    Nish Amarnath • Aug. 3, 2023
  • Facilities Trends illustration.
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    7 trends shaping facilities management in 2023

    Sustainability mandates, return-to-office and IoT growth have facilities leaders leaning on tech and outsourcing to meet budgets and streamline operations.

    Joe Burns and Shaun Lucas • June 5, 2023