Dive Brief:

• Next month, a group that calls itself the International Property Measurement Standards Coalition will issue a proposal for how it thinks building owners worldwide should measure space in their structures.
• Tenants usually pay rent by the square foot or the square meter, but how that space is determined can vary by as much as 24%.
• One basic question, for example, is whether space is measured from the inside face or the outside face of a wall.

Dive Insight:

The debate is likely to affect renters much more than the construction industry, but it could roil the development waters if clients are trying to compare how much their buildings cost per square foot and it turns out they're comparing apples and oranges. Or at least McIntoshes and Granny Smiths.