With so much talk of a slump in housing, the rest of the construction picture was getting obscured. ENR.com's Senior Business Editor, Richard Korman, and McGraw-Hill Construction Chief Economist Robert Murray talk about the nuances of the housing decline, what consumer trends are driving retail development, why demand still is high despite inflation, why offices still are vibrant although not as high as historic peaks, hot cities, the sharp upswing in power-related construction and how the Democrat-controlled Congress affects the picture in transportation.

Robert Murray
Vice President, Economic Affairs, McGraw-Hill Construction

Bob is the author of the widely-circulated Construction Outlook, issued each year by McGraw-Hill Construction. He also coordinates the company's five-year forecast product, the Construction Market Forecasting Service, which offers detailed projections of construction activity for the U.S and nine major regions. He is frequently quoted by major newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal on industry developments.