Logistics Trends and Specific Industries That Will Drive Warehouse and Distribution Growth and Demand for Space

For the last three decades, structural changes in the U.S. economy have heightened the importance of goods distribution as an economic engine, rather than simply as a cost of production. This research project identified the logistics trends and specific industries that will drive warehouse and distribution growth and demand for space over the next decade. The Regional Plan Association conducted a comprehensive analysis to refine understanding of the current square feet by employee ratios used for warehouse and distribution planning in the U.S and more generally the inventory of logistics buildings and its characteristics over the last decade. Employment data was analyzed at the National level to determine the industries that are expected to expand or contract between 2008 and 2018.