Maybe America’s next housing hot spots aren’t where we’ve been looking. For years, the Sun Belt has dominated the housing conversation. Now, however, new affordability numbers point toward Midwest and interior metros that offer a combination of lower housing costs and comparatively lower exposure to some major climate hazards. Could a “Resilience Belt” be taking shape?
That question gets even more interesting when you look at what’s happening in Lincoln, Neb. The city just joined a remarkably small club by earning LEED Platinum certification, showing that some of the country’s most ambitious sustainability work is happening well beyond the usual coastal suspects.
Now for some not-so-good news: a wrinkle in this week’s housing story: For the first time, investment in information-processing equipment has surpassed residential investment.
And what happens when these data centers actually arrive in communities? On the latest Impact Series, Mike Collignon and urban planner Valerie Miller dig into the water, energy, infrastructure and long-term questions communities should be asking before saying yes.
Housing has another growing financial problem: insurance. New research highlighted by Brookings reveals a surprising geographic pattern in where homeowners are experiencing some of the greatest insurance stress, and it isn’t necessarily where climate hazards are highest.
Meanwhile, a dramatic Colorado wildfire demonstration makes the case for resilient construction without needing many words. Two demonstration homes were set ablaze—one used wildfire-proof best practice techniques; the other did not. See the results for yourself.
That idea arrives as home buyers appear increasingly open to electrification. This week’s COGNITION Smart Data Hot Take reveals a dramatic one-year jump in the share of buyers who say they would purchase an all-electric home.
Technology is changing the jobsite, too. Texas A&M researchers are testing construction exoskeletons, and what they discovered suggests the devices might do more than reduce physical strain. They could help workers stay sharper and safer, too.
Finally, we head to Washington state for perhaps the week's most unexpected pairing: women’s soccer and hempcrete homes. Suneeta Eisenberg is using both to pursue the same larger goal of building stronger communities.
Watch the full This Week’s Sustainable Building News episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. Rather read the script? Here it is. Have a great sustainability news or trend story? Send it to Cati O’Keefe at cati.okeefe@greenbuildermedia.com
October 8–10: PhiusCon, Phoenix, Ariz.
October 18–21: International Code Council’s 2026 Annual Conference and Expo, Nashville, Tenn.
October 19-21: HousingWire Homebuilder Summit, Dallas, Tex.
October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026, New York
October 23: NAHB’s 2027 Sustainability and Green Building Scholarship Application Due
November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop, Nashville
November 18: 2026 Southwest Utility Energy Efficiency Workshop, Santa Fe
November 18–20: 1st International Online Conference on Sustainable Construction (GO BUILD 2026) (Virtual)
December 9: International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design Engineering (ICSAUDE), New York
January 28-29: ICGBS 2027: 21. International Conference on Green Building and Sustainability, New York
February 2-4, Design & Construction Week 2027 (IBS & KBIS), Las Vegas
March 1-5, 2027, ASCE2027: The Infrastructure and Engineering Experience, Philadelphia