Here’s our latest update on the construction, energy, transportation, and urban trends that are shaping our future.
You Should Know
- A federal trade court ruled that President Trump overstepped his authority by using emergency powers to impose sweeping worldwide tariffs, a role reserved for Congress. The court ordered the tariffs to be lifted within 10 days,
- Real estate tokenization is gaining momentum. Deloitte is excited and so is Dubai, which launched the first tokenized real estate project in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Washington, DC, was rated the USA’s best big-city park system by the 2025 ParkScore index. 99% of Washington, DC residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Worth Watching
- A quick look at the looming data center energy crisis.
- See how offshore wind turbines are installed.
- Check out BYD’s cheapest car, the 2025 Seagull EV, which starts at under $8,000 in China.
Top Stories
The Mukaab Will Be the Largest Building on Earth
Saudi Arabia is building what will be the largest structure in the world by volume: The Mukaab. Rising 400 meters (1,312 feet) in every dimension—height, width, and depth—this cube-shaped skyscraper is the centerpiece of Riyadh’s New Murabba district. When completed, it will contain over 60 million cubic meters of interior space, enough to house 20 Empire State Buildings. The project is expected to cost around $50 billion.
The design reflects modern Najdi architectural style with a distinctive geometric facade. At its core will be a spiraling tower encased by immersive digital and holographic environments. The building will feature more than 2 million square meters of floor space, including residential units, luxury hotels, retail outlets, a museum, a technology and design university, theaters, and over 80 additional entertainment and cultural venues. Around 8,000 homes will be included in the first phase, intended to house approximately 35,000 people.
The construction of this superstructure demands massive resources. More than 10 million cubic meters of earth have already been excavated, and daily operations rely on 250 excavators and 400 other pieces of heavy equipment. The project has logged over 3 million safe work hours so far. Construction began in 2024 and is projected to conclude by 2030. This month, the New Murabba Development Company issued a prequalification notice inviting consortiums to bid on the central structure’s main works, including the central spire around which the cube will be built.
Beyond its scale and design, The Mukaab is a signature initiative of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It is projected to have a substantial economic impact—adding over $51 billion to the country’s non-oil GDP and creating approximately 334,000 jobs—positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in urban innovation and architectural ambition.
This Is the Fastest Urbanizing Country in the World
The country experiencing the fastest urbanization growth rate in the world is Burundi, a landlocked nation in East Africa with a population of 13.7 million. According to World Population Review, its urbanization rate is increasing by more than 5% annually. This figure reflects the yearly rise in the percentage of people living in cities rather than in rural areas.
Currently, only about 15% of Burundi’s population lives in urban areas, but that number is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years. This trend is especially evident in Bujumbura, the country’s largest city. With a current population of 1.4 million, Bujumbura is expected to expand to over 3 million by 2035, making it one of the fastest-growing urban centers in Africa.
Several factors drive Burundi’s exceptionally high urbanization rate. The country has a very young population, with a median age of just 16.4 years. Younger individuals tend to be more mobile and more likely to migrate. Burundi also has a high fertility rate—on average, a woman is expected to have nearly five children in her lifetime. This rapid population growth is pushing many young people to move to urban areas in search of better opportunities, including employment, education, and healthcare.
However, this rapid urban expansion presents challenges, including strained infrastructure, housing shortages, and the need for sustainable urban planning. To address these issues, initiatives like the Ku Mashurwe Community Estate in Bujumbura are being developed to provide modern housing solutions and improve urban living conditions.
Swiss Next-Gen Battery Project Set to Reshape Power
Swiss Next-Gen Battery Project Set to Reshape Power In a bold push for energy innovation, Switzerland is building the world’s largest redox flow battery in Laufenburg. Developed by Flexbase Group, the facility—set to deliver 800 megawatts of electricity and store 1.6 gigawatt-hours, roughly enough energy to power 1.6 million homes for one hour—will be built on a 20,000-square-meter site at a critical European power hub where Swiss, German, and French grids converge.
This project showcases the potential of redox flow batteries (RFBs), an emerging technology tailored for long-duration, grid-scale energy storage. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which currently dominate the market, RFBs store energy in external tanks of liquid electrolytes and deliver it through a central reactor. This architecture allows for decoupled energy and power scaling, making them especially suited for storing renewable energy over 6–12+ hour periods—ideal for smoothing out the variability of solar and wind power.
RFBs also offer durability advantages. They degrade far more slowly than lithium-ion batteries, tolerating tens of thousands of cycles with minimal efficiency loss. In combination with AI-based energy management and district heating systems planned for the site, the Laufenburg facility could become a blueprint for resilient, low-carbon power infrastructure in Europe.
Construction commenced following regulatory approval, with commercial operations anticipated by summer 2028. While specific investment figures have not been disclosed, reports suggest the project’s value could reach into the billions.
A Quick Primer on High-Speed Rail Costs
There’s a lot of confusion—and often misinformation—about the true cost of high-speed rail (HSR). Consider the jaw-dropping $100+ billion price tag for California’s high-speed rail project. The figure is so staggering that many dismiss HSR entirely without examining what actually drives the cost.
Here are the five major cost components of an HSR project:
- Civil works and infrastructure (30–60% of total cost)
- Track, signaling, and electrification (15–25%)
- Land acquisition and right-of-way (10–20%)
- Stations and terminals (5–15%)
- Rolling stock / trainsets (5–10%)
Civil works and infrastructure—the largest cost bucket—includes tunnels, viaducts, bridges, embankments, and earthworks. These costs exhibit the highest variability and uncertainty, as they are highly sensitive to urban density, geological conditions, seismic zones, and floodplains. HSR requires straight, level paths with gentle curves, often meaning mountains must be tunneled through and valleys spanned. A single mile of urban tunnel can cost over $500 million. Viaducts, needed to avoid intersections and elevation changes, can cost $20–40 million per mile.
Track, signaling, and electrification include continuous welded rail, overhead power systems, and train control technologies. These costs are more standardized, with better predictability and lower variance. HSR tracks must be fully grade-separated and capable of safely handling speeds of 186+ mph. Upgrading old freight or passenger tracks is often just as expensive as building new ones, because most existing corridors can’t meet these strict requirements.
Land acquisition and right-of-way costs can escalate rapidly, particularly in densely populated urban areas. High property values, legal disputes, and community opposition often add both time and expense. Unlike civil works, these costs are driven more by local property laws and real estate markets than by geotechnical complexity.
Stations, terminals, and rolling stock are critical but relatively minor and predictable expenses. A new high-speed trainset can cost $30–70 million. A trainset typically has 8 to 16 cars and carries 500–1,200 passengers. Service life is typically 25+ years.
Costs vary dramatically depending on where and how HSR is built. In Europe and China, new high-speed lines cost far less than in the U.S. The difference comes down to governance: Europe and China benefit from streamlined permitting, centralized planning, standard engineering specs, and fewer legal hurdles. U.S. projects face fragmented jurisdictions, protracted reviews, political interference, and costly land battles. For example, Spain’s Madrid–Barcelona line cost about $32 million per mile, while California’s Central Valley segment has topped $100 million per mile—before entering major cities.
Big Deals
- Related Group secures $231 million to build Fort Lauderdale’s tallest tower.
- Enel expands U.S. renewable capacity with wind farm swap, plus $50 million in cash.
- Aligned Climate Capital surpasses $200 million for solar projects.
- Alrik, a Swedish construction logistics startup, secures €7 million in funding.
- Empire Capital buys Park Avenue South office buildings for $130 million.
- Cinnaire raises $340 million for affordable housing projects across states.
Extra Reads
- Morocco and the UAE signed a $14 billion water and energy infrastructure deal—the largest in Moroccan history.
- Chinese robotaxi companies rush into Gulf region amid growing demand.
- New rezoning plan could add 4,600 homes to Brooklyn.
- Offshore wind-solar hybrid project in Dutch North Sea promises unprecedented energy output.
- Saudi Arabia’s Neom project reveals progress with new tunnel completion.
- Interenergo inaugurates first wind farm in Bosnia.
- Veho and RIVR launch AI-powered robots to enhance e-commerce delivery.
- OSUS launches $355 million ‘Ain Osus’ urban development project.
- Tesla aims for dominance in the competitive robotaxi market.
- Colombia plans $2 billion water infrastructure projects.
- EU’s largest BESS project now online in Bulgaria.
- Cuba partners with Japan to develop renewable energy projects amid energy crisis.