The Urban Land Institute ( ULI ) is a non-profit research and education institution with headquarters in Washington , Hong Kong and London . Its stated goal is to "take a leadership role in responsible land use and to create and sustain the development of communities worldwide." [ 1 ] The ULI stands for progressive development and research as well as education, including in the areas of sustained development, smart growth (urban and transportation planning), community development and workforce housing (affordable housing for the workforce).

The ULI was founded in 1936 and is now represented in over 80 countries worldwide. It has over 42,000 members, of which over 20% work in government, educational institutions or public companies and around 75% work mainly in the real estate and urban development industry. There are around 700 members in Germany alone. [ 2 ]

The ULI states that it publishes publications and conducts research to “predict emerging trends and new issues in land use and propose creative solutions” and “provide knowledge that helps the development community to continually improve its performance.” [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

The Urban Land Institute also runs a number of initiatives and programs, such as an extensive consulting program that provides government, businesses and nonprofit organizations with strategies in real estate development and urban policy. For over 20 years, real estate entrepreneur programs have been developed [ 5 ] that provide professional development support in land use practice. The ULI also hosts specific events, such as local district council meetings [ 6 ] or the annual fall [ 7 ] and spring meetings. [ 8 ]

Edward Walter has been Global Chief Executive Officer since June 2018. [ 9 ] Walter succeeded Patrick L. Phillips, the former President of ERA AECOM , who in turn held the position of global CEO since September 2009. He succeeded Richard Rosan, who held both positions for 17 years. [ 10 ] The Asian headquarters in Hong Kong has been headed by CEO John Fitzgerald since the end of 2013 [ 11 ] and the European headquarters in London by CEO Lisette van Doorn since January 2015 [ 12 ] . Executive Director Stephanie Baden chairs the office for Germany, Austria and Switzerland in Frankfurt . [ 13 ]

1940s and 1950s

[ Edit | Edit source ]

The Urban Land Institute was founded on December 14, 1936, during the Great Depression as the National Real Estate Foundation for Practical Research and Education , with the goal of becoming a research and educational academy in the real estate and urban culture industries. Two years after establishing its headquarters in Chicago, the organization changed its name to the Urban Land Institute in 1939. A newsletter announced the institute's mission in 1940: "[...] was founded to assist U.S. cities in problems of planning, replanning, construction and reconstruction."

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology welcomed the ULI to its first conference in 1941. A year later, the ULI declared itself a relief organization in the publication Outline for a Legislative Program to Rebuild Our Cities . [ 14 ] That same year, the headquarters was moved to Washington.

Institute members Jesse Clyde Nichols, better known as JC Nichols, and Hugh Potter organized the first advisory agency, the Community Builder's Council , in 1944 to plan and build suburbs for post- World War II cities. The institute's advisory program began in 1947 in cooperation with the city of Louisville . [ 15 ]

1960s and 1980s

[ Edit | Edit source ]

The 1950s were marked by the founding of the JC Nichols Foundation (later integrated into the ULI Foundation) and the first cost analysis of shopping centers. In the 1960s, the ULI increasingly changed into a research institute and founded its first research program in 1960. The ULI conducted comparative land use studies over several years and exerted widespread influence with the first international membership meeting in Mexico City in 1965. Two years later, the Community Builder's Council went on its first study tour of Europe.

In the 1970s, the organization grew and expanded in several directions. The Urban Land Research Foundation (later called the ULI Foundation) was founded with the goal of "helping to meet the increasing demands for wider access to development information." The Urban Land Institute reached a membership of over 6,000 in 1974, and the annual budget grew to over $1.5 million in 1976. In 1979, the range of advisory services was expanded and the ULI Awards for Excellence were introduced. [ 16 ]

1990s and 2000s

[ Edit | Edit source ]

In 1983, the ULI developed the regional consulting program with initially only seven consulting offices in various US cities. Later, district consulting offices were also founded and in 1986 the first Real Estate School was founded.

UrbanPlan , the Institute's second graduate program, was launched with the help of a grant from the National Geographic Society Education Foundation. In 1992, the first two European District Advisory Centres were established in London and Barcelona .

In addition, in 1996, the ULI Senior Resident Fellows program was established and the first ULI Mayor's Forum was held with the intention of creating a workshop with city officials and private companies to find solutions to problems in the city. [ 16 ]

21st century

[ Edit | Edit source ]

In 2000, the ULI JC Nicholson Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development was introduced and the number of ULI advisory centres grew to 39, including in Europe, Asia and South America. The following year, the ULI opened its first European office in Brussels and the first Young Leaders group was formed in the ULI district advisory centre in Houston . By 2005, Young Leaders groups had also been established in the majority of district advisory centres . Thomas Leinberger has been the chairman of the Europe Young Leaders group since 2014. [ 17 ]

The European office moved to London in 2004 and established the Community Action Grant program. In 2007, the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing was established along with the opening of the ULI office in Hong Kong. Membership grew to over 40,000 the following year. The Urban Land Institute established the ULI Daniel Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use and the Urban Investment Network in Europe. [ 18 ] In 2011, the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, announced the Urban Land Institute as the recipient of its 2012 Honor Award for support and leadership in urban planning and community development. According to the museum's executive director, Chase Rynd, the museum chose ULI because of its "long-standing commitment to interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research that impacts entire community systems" and its leadership role in "urban and transportation planning and policy development down to the basics to improve the quality of life in urban communities around the world." [ 19 ]

In 2014, the Urban Land Institute and the National League of Cities partnered to jointly support the management and operations of the Daniel Rose Center For Public Leadership in Land Use to help it develop and influence a broader range of city agencies. [ 20 ]

Influencing procedures and practice

[ Edit | Edit source ]

Because of its many programs, the Urban Land Institute has influenced policy and practice for decades. The Institute has no lobby, but works and researches with its members in the areas of land use and urban development. The Journal of Association Leadership wrote in 2005 that the ULI "draws on the experience and expertise of its members in real estate and urban development using many of the problem-solving principles enshrined in The Wisdom of Crowds : insight, collaboration, coordination." With a membership of "26 sciences and 13 industries, in the public sector and through private enterprise, the Institute today teaches core competencies developed through the collective knowledge of its members and structures communities as self-organizing systems." [ 21 ]

Since the mid-20th century, the Urban Land Institute has been consulted by city governments and private landowners on real estate and development issues. These multidisciplinary teams of experts in architecture, urban planning, transportation, finance, and market research have adopted and implemented many of the advice and tips. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] The Institute's local district advisory offices invite government officials and private industrialists to speculate on the future of land use, and also established an UrbanPlan classroom used by many schools across the United States. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] In addition, the ULI has been able to provide leadership and expertise in urban development processes through a variety of partnerships, for example as a partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF). [ 26 ].