As 2007 begins, it is only fitting that ENR.com feature some uplifting stories to combat that inevitable post-holiday funk. A tale of faster-than-expected construction on one project in Colorado should bring a smile to any project manager's face, while optimistic predictions from housing market economists shines a ray of light on a sector of the industry that has been all doom and gloom lately. And of course there is ENR's yearly photo contest, showcasing the hidden artistry in all construction (#24 is my personal favorite). It's a new year, so we might as well start it out with some good news.

But there is something about this time of year that makes people all wistful, as if the simple act of hanging a new calendar on the wall triggers a primitive need to reflect over the past.

Sadly, two of the biggest construction stories of 2006 were about what did not get built. Sixteen months since hurricane floodwaters inundated much of New Orleans, vast stretches of the city remain to be rebuilt, it's population lingering at less than half it's pre-Katrina size. Some progress has been made in strengthening the levee system, but over a year later it remains unclear whether there will ever be a serious effort to rebuild the city for it's scattered residents.

And in other unconstruction news, the site of the World Trade Center in New York remains an open scar in Manhattan, more than five years after the buildings were destroyed. There is an entirely different kind of political gridlock holding up the development of that site, but it was no small shame felt by all Americans as the fifth anniversary of the attacks passed with not so much as a permanent memorial erected. Sometimes it's what doesn't get built that looms largest.

Yet now is the time when we shrug off the accumulated pessimism of the past months and look toward the New Year. At its heart construction has always been about looking to the future, the industry is based around visible signs of progress. Every stage of a project, from careful planning and modeling, to the slow organic rise of the final structure, is about moving forward and not brooding on the past. Every project is a new opportunity, every failed predecessor a chance to succeed at last. Even though experience in construction usually breeds a prudent cynicism, it is still a surprisingly optimistic field. And that's an encouraging thought when looking at important projects that have stalled.

I hope this column has not been too much of a downer for your New Year's weekend. You see I just bought a new calendar, and am feeling a bit wistful.

Happy New Year.

January 9 , 2007

I really enjoy reading ENR when I get the new one once every week. It is too bad about New Orleans (which I visited twice) & the World Trade Center site. All Canadians felt your disasters when these two things happened as the U.S. is our best friend. Perhaps when Iraq & Afghanistan are finished the U.S. can then concentrate on those problems at home.

Ed Nyczai