Single family construction spending increased 0.6% in December. This slim rise signals that the renewed and expanded homebuyer tax credit may not have the expected impact. Other reports on pending sales and starts suggest the same, says Reed Construction Data chief economist Jim Haughey.

The accompanying table shows 20 of the largest upcoming museum and library construction projects in the U.S.. They are all in the planning stage and are mainly new projects, but may also involve additions and/or alterations.

Shopping centers, hotels, office buildings, medical buildings, educational buildings, libraries and museums, sports and entertainment complexes, industrial projects and government buildings will all be covered on a rotating basis.

There are several reasons for highlighting upcoming large projects. Such jobs have often received a fair amount of media coverage. Therefore, people in the industry are on the lookout for when job-site work actually gets underway. And, as showcase projects, they highlight geographically where major construction projects are proceeding.

Finally, total construction activity is comprised of many small- and medium-sized projects and a limited number of very large developments. But the largest projects, simply by their nature, can dramatically affect total dollar volumes. In other words, the timing and size of these projects have an exaggerated influence on market forecasts.

Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio account for 37% of single family housing starts in the twenty largest metro housing markets. Houston has the most intense housing development among all large metro areas. Phoenix, Riverside, Tampa and Orlando are the only housing boom cities still left on the top twenty list, says Reed Construction Data chief economist Jim Haughey.

This chart features U.S. Housing Permits per 1,000 population based on the latest 12 months and residential permits for cities ranked 301-361.

This chart features U.S. Housing Permits per 1,000 population based on the latest 12 months and residential permits for cities ranked 201-300.