The hottest Construction Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

Housing Starts Increased to 1.321 million Annual Rate in June

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 28 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
💰 Finance Construction
  1. In June, housing starts were at an annual rate of 1.321 million, which is a slight increase from May. This suggests a growing construction activity but remains lower compared to June 2024.
  2. Single-family housing starts dropped 4.6% from May, while multi-family housing saw a significant year-over-year increase. This indicates a shift in the types of units being built.
  3. Overall, total housing starts are down 0.5% compared to last year, reflecting broader trends in the housing market, especially with single-family units declining while multi-family units grow.

Blame the Crew

Gordian Knot News • 190 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
💼 Business Construction
  1. In industries like shipping and nuclear power, there is a tendency to blame the crew or contractors for mistakes rather than holding the owners or regulatory systems accountable.
  2. There is a disparity in performance between building coal plants and nuclear plants, with the nuclear contractor performance often not meeting expectations.
  3. The main difference in performance is attributed to the regulatory system rather than any lack of special technical skills in building nuclear plants.

November 2024 Residential Construction

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 63 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
💰 Finance Construction
  1. Mortgage rates are really important for the housing market. They can greatly affect both people's ability to buy homes and the rate of construction jobs.
  2. Tracking construction employment can give insights into the housing market trends. It’s a clear indicator of how the market is responding to interest rates.
  3. There are ongoing challenges in the housing market, and the data can sometimes seem tricky. It's like a game where understanding the numbers is key to navigating the situation.

January 2025 Residential Construction

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 42 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
💰 Finance Construction
  1. Residential construction jobs are not increasing much and have been stable. This suggests a slow period for the construction industry.
  2. The number of new construction starts was lower this month, indicating potential challenges ahead for the housing market.
  3. Despite issues in construction, there's a lot of political noise happening, which makes the calm in construction seem strange.
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1.73 million Total Housing Completions in 2024 including Manufactured Homes; Most Since 2006

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 47 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
💼 Business Construction
  1. In 2024, there were 1.73 million housing completions, which is the highest since 2006. This means more homes are now finished and ready for people.
  2. Completions increased by 12.5% compared to the previous year. This is a good sign for the housing market as more homes are being built.
  3. Even without counting manufactured homes, there were still around 1.63 million completions in 2024. This shows a strong upward trend in housing development.

Gli Umarelli di Spalato

Fisted by Foucault • 232 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Construction
  1. Sometimes men enjoy watching construction sites and offering advice - known as Umarells.
  2. The term Umarell has evolved from a general older person to specifically older men at construction sites.
  3. In Italy, Umarells are respected and even celebrated for their presence at construction sites.

Another Follow-Up Against Agglomeration

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 105 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
💰 Finance Construction
  1. The mortgage crackdown post-2008 led to a housing shortage, impacting construction of single-family homes in different cities.
  2. There is a correlation between the drop in construction activity after 2008 and metro area incomes, where lower income areas experienced a greater decline.
  3. Trends suggest housing constraints may lead to higher incomes, impacting new single-family home construction and mortgage lending standards across different cities.

Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-June 2025

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 09 Jun 25
💼 Business Construction
  1. The spring housing market was not great for new homebuilders, but they still have many completed homes to sell.
  2. There is a significant increase in the number of existing homes available for buyers, making it a better time to find a home.
  3. While home sales are flat compared to last year, prices may drop due to increased inventory, although big drops are unlikely.

Housing Starts Decreased to 1.366 million Annual Rate in January

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 28 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
💰 Finance Construction
  1. In January, housing starts dropped to 1.366 million, which is lower than both December's figures and January 2024's. This shows a ongoing decrease in new housing construction.
  2. Single-family home construction decreased by 8.4% compared to December, which indicates a slowdown in this sector. Meanwhile, multi-family units saw a slight increase year-over-year but still faced declines month-over-month.
  3. There were significant differences in regional construction patterns, especially in the Northeast, which experienced a notable drop, likely due to weather conditions.

Housing Starts Increased to 1.428 million Annual Rate in July

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 19 Aug 25
💰 Finance Construction
  1. Housing starts rose to an annual rate of 1.428 million in July, which is good news for the housing market. It's a 5.2% increase from the previous month and 12.9% higher than last year.
  2. Single-family housing starts also grew, with a rate of 939,000 in July, up 2.8% from June. This shows that people are actively building homes.
  3. Multi-family housing starts have seen even bigger growth, with a 24.1% increase year-over-year. This indicates a strong demand for apartment buildings and larger housing units.

Mexico's Investment Boom

Apricitas Economics • 63 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
💼 Business Construction
  1. Mexico is experiencing a significant investment boom driven by major public works projects and supply-chain nearshoring.
  2. The construction boom in Mexico, particularly in southern states, has been fueled by massive public works projects like the Tren Maya and Dos Bocas refinery.
  3. Mexico's export manufacturing sector is growing, with a focus on genuine manufacturing growth in industries like computer, appliance, and motor vehicle production.

Dallas vs. Austin

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 21 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
💼 Business Construction
  1. Rents are going down in both Dallas and Austin, but Austin is seeing a bigger drop. This indicates a shift in the housing market.
  2. There's a clear trend happening in real estate that can be tracked through data, which helps understand rental prices and construction activity.
  3. It's important to keep an eye on housing supply and demand, as they play a key role in rental prices across major Texas cities.

Housing Starts Decreased to 1.289 million Annual Rate in November

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 23 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
💰 Finance Construction
  1. In November, housing starts dropped to an annual rate of 1.289 million, marking a 1.8% decrease from October. The overall rate is also down 14.6% compared to November 2023.
  2. Single-family housing starts saw a slight increase of 6.4% from October, while multi-family starts fell significantly by 27.6% year-over-year. This shows that the single-family housing market is performing better than multi-family units.
  3. Year-to-date, total housing starts are down 4.3%, but single-family starts are up 7.2%. Multi-family starts, however, have seen a decline of 30.1%, indicating a tough year for that segment of the market.

The Housing Bust Was Not A Cyclical Event

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 84 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
💼 Business Construction
  1. Overly-cyclical housing markets are not the main problem - zoning regulations are.
  2. Errors about private construction industry being pro-cyclical lead to misconceptions about the housing crisis causes.
  3. Impact of post-recession mortgage suppression on single-family construction and working class homeowners has been overlooked.

Housing Starts Increased to 1.499 million Annual Rate in December

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
💰 Finance Construction
  1. Housing starts for December were 1.499 million, which is 15.8% higher than November but 4.4% lower than December 2023.
  2. Single-family housing starts rose slightly compared to November, while multi-family starts saw a drop year-over-year.
  3. Total housing starts decreased by 2.6% in 2024 compared to 2023, with single-family homes seeing a slight increase while multi-family homes declined significantly.

Some Notes On the MiSeq Flowcell

ASeq Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🔬 Science Construction
  1. The MiSeq flowcell consists of a plastic outer shell with a glass flowcell that clips open and closed.
  2. Measurements indicate a cover glass thickness of around 150um and a 100um channel height on a 1mm substrate.
  3. Unlike other flowcells, the MiSeq uses an all glass construction bonded with optical bonding material and borosilicate glass apertures.

Three percent more Monaco: Links in Progress, infrastructure edition

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 11 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Construction
  1. A new airport opened in Nuuk, Greenland, making it easier for larger planes to land and boosting travel from locations like New Jersey.
  2. Vietnam is planning an impressive high-speed rail line between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which will cost around $67 billion and open in 2035.
  3. Monaco is expanding its land area by reclaiming land from the sea to build a new district, highlighting its ambition to develop upscale real estate.

A New Atlantis

Model Thinking • 2 HN points • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Construction
  1. Housing in Britain is currently unaffordable due to bloated planning restrictions, costing residents in terms of space, age of homes, and financial burden.
  2. The proposal to reclaim land from Dogger Bank for housing development comes with an estimated cost of £97.5bn, with potential present value benefits of £622bn, showing a promising cost-benefit ratio.
  3. The development of a new city on Dogger Bank has the potential to significantly impact economic activity, urban infrastructure, land prices, and GDP gains, making it a complex but potentially beneficial endeavor.

Links in Progress: Expanding the Mediterranean's busiest port

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 8 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Construction
  1. There's a new rail tunnel in Switzerland that cuts travel time between Switzerland and Italy by an hour. It's called the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
  2. A massive tunnel is being built between Denmark and Germany that will make travel faster by replacing a ferry with a quick car drive. It will be one of the longest tunnels in the world.
  3. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is getting a driverless monorail to connect different areas. It's part of a bigger plan to improve public transport in the city.

What Affordable Housing Actually Means

The Discourse Lounge • 22 HN points • 28 Jul 23
💼 Business Construction
  1. Many people misunderstand what 'affordable housing' really means -- it's not just cheaper housing, but subsidized, rent-regulated housing.
  2. The terminology around housing has evolved over time, from 'public housing' to 'affordable housing', aiming to market the benefits to consumers.
  3. High housing costs are closely tied to high construction costs, and providing truly affordable housing requires addressing these underlying cost issues.

Connecting AI to Reality

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 27 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Construction
  1. AI can help improve agriculture by using technology like autonomous robots and controlled environments. This means we can grow food more efficiently and sustainably.
  2. Tools like StockSmart use AI to help manage livestock grazing, which can lead to better outcomes for farmers and the environment.
  3. Construction can also benefit from AI, as companies use data and real-time insights to reduce costs and increase productivity while being more sustainable.

June 2025 Residential Construction

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 0 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
💼 Business Construction
  1. Multifamily construction is back to pre-Covid levels, showing that building times are normalizing again. This means we might see fewer new projects coming soon.
  2. Single-family construction is taking longer than usual, with a delay of about a month compared to normal times. This could impact how quickly homes are available.
  3. Municipal regulations are likely slowing down construction, making it harder for builders to move forward quickly. This could lead to a longer wait for new housing developments.

A Look Into Construction Tech

Equal Ventures • 0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Construction
  1. The construction industry faced challenges due to COVID, leading to project delays, labor shortages, and higher costs, but also drove innovation and digital adaptation.
  2. The construction industry is massive, fragmented, cyclical, and essential to the U.S. economy, with specific segments like private construction and public infrastructure.
  3. Construction has been slow in adopting technology, but the pandemic accelerated its digital transformation, especially in areas like drones, digital collaboration, and safety tools.