Expert Insights
Expert Insights
As President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., Mary Scott Nabers has decades of experience working in the public-private sector. A well-recognized expert in the P3 and government contracting fields, she is often asked to share her industry insights with top publications and through professional speaking engagements. Get an exclusive look at upcoming trends and insider tips from Mary herself on the SPI blog.
Multimillion-dollar renovations signal strong public sector infrastructure activity
State and local leaders throughout America are launching the planning phases of large renovation projects to preserve historic landmarks and modernize critical public facilities. The projects being planned reflect a strong commitment to sustainability, operational...
Capital investments signal an abundance of upcoming infrastructure projects in rural America
There is an abundance of evidence indicating that large amounts of capital for infrastructure investment have been allocated for rural America in 2026. Upcoming projects on drawing boards currently are being designed to strengthen public services, improve...
Cities bet big on sports tourism and community recreation
Cities throughout America are building or modernizing sports venues. Many are incorporating them into sports-anchored districts designed to pull in visitors year-round, not just on game day. With strong tailwinds, sports tourism is widely forecast to grow rapidly over...
Not to be overlooked – a national surge in law enforcement infrastructure and growing demand for public safety complexes
City leaders throughout America are investing in the next generation of law enforcement facilities designed to meet operational demands, strengthen public safety coordination, and support long term community growth. Aging police stations that were built decades ago...
Building Air Travel’s Next Era: Airport projects move forward nationwide
Airports throughout the US. are moving beyond incremental upgrades and toward long-range modernization strategies. Projects are being designed to meet sustained growth, evolving airline needs, and rising passenger expectations. From terminal expansions to landside and...
Healthcare infrastructure investments are accelerating nationwide
Across the United States, healthcare infrastructure has entered a period of significant transition. Aging facilities, population growth, rising construction costs, and increasing demand for behavioral health and specialty care are causing public officials and...
Downtown transit centers are driving the next generation of mobility projects
America’s transit agencies are being upgraded and modernized, delivering new amenities, upgraded convenience, better security, and safer access for riders. After years of deferred upgrades, many cities are prioritizing projects that improve transfers, simplify...
Billions of dollars in play as communities tackle aging water infrastructure
America’s water and wastewater infrastructure is entering a period of reinvestment, and because of that, opportunities for collaboration between private sector firms and public entities will be abundant in 2026. Decades-old treatment plants, pump stations, and...
Capital projects spotlight a nationwide push to modernize and expand America’s libraries
At a time when information is available instantly on phones, computers and laptops, communities across the country are making a surprising but deliberate investment in bricks-and-mortar libraries. Far from becoming obsolete, public libraries are being reimagined as...
Building the Future: Major public investments are driving America’s next economic growth cycle
Public sector leaders are increasingly aligning capital investments to support long-term economic development objectives. Rather than focusing solely on bricks and mortar, cities, counties, and educational institutions are prioritizing projects that strengthen...
U.S. convention center projects surge as cities chase event-driven revenue growth
Across the U.S., cities are making major capital commitments to convention centers as competition for events, visitor spending, and downtown revitalization intensifies. According to industry research, the global meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions...
2026 will be a “Year of Action” as infrastructure momentum holds firm
As 2026 gets underway, there’s an abundance of activity linked to extremely large infrastructure projects throughout the U.S. While federal funding support will not be as available in the future as it was in 2022–2024, funding is still flowing in 2026. That’s because...
Multimillion-dollar wildlife overpass and underpass projects are reshaping America’s roads
Collisions between vehicles and wildlife in the U.S. continue to pose a significant and costly safety challenge for drivers and a major threat to habitat connectivity and wildlife conservation. On average, more than 1,000,000 wildlife vehicle collisions are documented...
Quality-of-life investments are reshaping higher education campuses
As competition for college and university students intensifies, a clear trend is emerging across higher education. Institutions are investing heavily in new campus facilities that serve as visible proof points of institutional strength. These investments signal a...
Navigating uncertainty and opportunity in 2026
As America begins a new year, it seems appropriate to outline some noteworthy changes, challenges and opportunities that will be especially impactful in 2026. The challenges and opportunities will touch both private sector firms and government officials. Now is the...
Battery storage projects surge as utilities prepare for next grid era in 2026
Across the United States, battery energy storage is rapidly emerging from a niche technology into mainstream grid infrastructure. The growing attractiveness of battery energy storage is driving a transformation fueled by record-setting installations nationwide. The...
University megaprojects drive next wave of capital investment on campuses throughout the U.S.
American university campuses are becoming some of the most active centers for large-scale construction planning. Public institutions are advancing multi-million-dollar capital projects that reflect a convergence of enrollment pressures, aging infrastructure, evolving...
Resilience projects move from planning to priority as climate risks escalate
Across the United States, weather-driven disruption is no longer an episodic challenge but a persistent condition reshaping public investment priorities. Intensifying rainfall, rising seas, prolonged heat, and expanding wildfire zones are placing unprecedented strain...
Public campuses nationwide are kickstarting the next era of healthcare innovation
Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These...
From scattered offices to service hubs – Cities are rewriting the front doors to government
Municipal officials throughout the country are quietly rethinking where and how to best deliver public services. Instead of maintaining a patchwork of aging city halls, police stations, fire departments, courts, dispatch centers, and administrative offices that are...
The next infrastructure wave isn’t roads — it’s treatment plants
America’s wastewater infrastructure is suddenly having a very visible moment, and the numbers explain why. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest Clean Watersheds Needs Survey places the estimated amount of funding needed for clean water...
Billion-dollar bridge projects will launch in 2026 as officials tackle decades of deferred maintenance
America has a critical bridge infrastructure problem! At least 221,800 bridges throughout the U.S. need major repair or replacement. Nationwide, more than 42,000 bridges are currently classified as structurally deficient, and time is running out to address the...
As housing shortages escalate, cities turn to an unlikely ally: Aging shopping malls
An interesting and visionary trend is creating incredible benefits throughout the U.S., and the momentum is notable. It starts with the recognition that hundreds of traditional indoor shopping malls are struggling, and yet they represent properties that could be...
The Final Mile – the U.S. simply must rush to finish its critical lead pipe cleanup!
An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the U.S. Lead water lines pose an extremely high public safety issue. This has been a known fact for many years, and...
Billions continue to flow into parks and recreation projects
City and county leaders throughout America are investing heavily in upgrading local parks and recreation assets. They are transforming aging facilities into modern, multi-use public spaces that enhance quality of life environments for citizens and stimulate local...
The Downtown Comeback: Cities of all sizes are building for the future
Across the United States, downtown areas are undergoing a striking resurgence. After years of pandemic-era disruption, cities large and small are reinvesting their urban cores, modernizing infrastructure, redesigning public spaces, and reimagining how people live,...
Transit-Oriented Development gains steam as 2026 funding holds firm
As 2026 approaches, transit-oriented development (TOD) continues to gain traction in cities throughout America. Federal funding support is holding steady, and new financing tools are available to broaden the field for planners, builders, and public agencies. The...
A new federal marketplace is emerging – Big changes should be noted
Federal procurement is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. Big changes have been made, and private sector contractors will need to prepare for these new procedures while also monitoring other evolving anticipated changes so that they are...
The rise of sports infrastructure: Where civic pride meets economic power
Throughout America, local governments are betting big on recreation as a catalyst for growth. From sprawling youth-sports complexes and gleaming aquatic centers to billion-dollar stadiums and multipurpose arenas, these types of projects draw visitors, fill hotels, and...
Rebuilding the Rules: Contractors face most significant DBE shake-up in 40 years
For more than four decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program has served as one of the federal government’s cornerstone efforts to ensure fair competition in transportation contracting. The DBE program originated...
The move toward faster, shared-risk construction delivery is transforming how America builds
In today’s construction industry, the steady transition away from traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery toward more collaborative, integrated, and risk-balanced models is no longer a prediction — it is a measurable fact. Data from the Design-Build Institute of...
Building for tomorrow: the shift toward unified climate resilience initiatives
In the face of escalating climate threats — from intensifying storms and sea-level rise to extreme heat, flooding and landslides — U.S. cities, counties and states are launching bold, multi-agency infrastructure efforts that blur the lines between governmental...
Capital Improvement Plans reveal next wave of public investment
Across the United States, government officials in all jurisdictions are quietly publishing multi-year Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) — roadmaps that translate long-range community visions into shovel-ready projects. A typical CIP spans four to ten years, ranking...
Billions in bond approvals signal upcoming contracting opportunities
There are several types of bond options that government officials can use to secure funding for major capital projects. Each of the different options balance repayment security, funding sources, and investor risk. It’s important to understand the different types of...
A quiet revolutionary trend is accelerating large, complex and critical projects nationwide
Over the past four months, Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have emerged as the nation’s most active adopters of public-private partnerships (P3s), which are often referred to as comprehensive development initiatives (CDIs) for large infrastructure projects. Federal...
Public safety drives nationwide spending surge for municipalities
In mid-2025, data shows the annualized rate of the U.S. construction spending for public safety in the U.S. to be approximately $19.35 billion. That number includes both new construction, renovation and repair projects, representing near-record highs heading into...
Billions flow into next-generation city halls and municipal campuses
Across America, cities are teeing up billions in funding for hard infrastructure, digital upgrades, sustainability and climate resilience projects. Municipal planning documents signal a multi-year construction cycle that folds in law enforcement, new municipal...
States fund massive capital projects for infrastructure in 2026
State budgets for FY 2026 share a striking set of priorities. Almost all are channeling major resources into long-term infrastructure strategies, especially transportation networks, water supply systems, broadband expansion, and energy resilience. Already, New York...
Nationwide, tunnel projects are far from boring
Over the past two years, the country has witnessed a surge of tunnel construction projects. The work has not involved band-aid repair to failing pipes or bridges, but it has been massive, strategic investments in tunnel infrastructure nationwide. According to Tunnel...
Enrollment growth fuels campus building boom nationwide
It appears that a one-time worry that online learning might cause demand for campus housing to decline is no longer an immediate concern. There is a real, very current development-boom on college and university campuses nationwide. Student housing projects are up...