Planning & Design

The Distinctive City

The Distinctive City

Cities are seeking the recipe for economic success in a rapidly changing global marketplace and, in the process, often overlook a critical asset: community distinctiveness. Special places, characteristics and customs have value, and they can increase a city’s competitive edge.

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Recent Articles

  • Can America Eliminate Its Addiction to Fossil Fuels and Do So Without Congress?

    05-09-12

    Amory Lovins, cofounder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, told an audience of ULI members at ULI's 2012 Spring Meeting, that there are numerous ways to reduce use of fossil fuels. Doing so, corporate America could earn a $5 trillion savings in net present value and boost the economy by 150 percent.

  • Public Art in Transit

    05-08-12

    The intangible benefits of public art are well-known, but often overlooked. Read how public art at two downtown Los Angeles transit-oriented developments came to generate ongoing income for a private developer and local government.

  • Community Development Outlook

    05-04-12

    Members of ULI’s Community Development Council speak about the impact of the slow economy, the increased appeal of smaller sites in denser locations, consumers’ current amenity preferences, the impact of ethnic and demographic changes, and the rising demand for housing that can accommodate multiple generations.

  • Guiding Those Who Teach the Guide Dogs

    05-03-12

    Members of the Young Leaders Group of ULI Orange County/Inland Empire put their skills to work helping those who help the disabled. They offered advice to Guide Dogs of the Desert, a Riverside County, California, nonprofit that pairs service dogs with people who are blind, with a plan for expanding its live-in training campus.

  • Smart Growth Not Enough?

    05-02-12

    The fact that we are increasing dwelling units per acre, reducing vehicle miles traveled per capita, and reducing tons of carbon emissions compared to sprawl does not mean that we are making great people habitat, posits Kaid Benfield, director, Sustainable Communities, Washington, D.C. Benfield says it is time to focus more on the quality of what we are building.

  • Building for the Needs of an Information-Based Economy

    05-01-12

    The desire of today’s creative class for connectivity, walkability and non-traditional live and work spaces is reshaping how designers, architects, and developers design homes and offices, says Christopher B. Leinberger, president of LOCUS, a real estate policy advocate for walkable and transit-oriented development.

  • Federal Government Shrinks Space Requirements

    04-27-12

    Federal agencies are under continuing pressure to reduce their demand for leased and build-to-suit space. They intend to reduce square footage used per employee, increase teleworking—and make better use of existing government buildings, administrators told a ULI WashingtonTrends conference audience.

  • Private Money for Public Spaces

    04-26-12

    Public/private partnerships can be used to create and restore public spaces, adding value to surrounding real estate. Bryant Park in Manhattan serves as a successful model of this. In Washington, D.C., a public/private partnership has been established to bring that improvement model to the National Mall.

  • Envision Charlotte

    04-12-12

    Envision Charlotte, a pioneering sustainability program in Charlotte, North Carolina, has partnered with Duke Energy, Cisco Systems Inc., and Verizon to produce a model program, Smart Energy Now. The program involves a robust network of 70 buildings, and their owners and managers, who will help achieve the program’s goals for dramatic energy savings. Up next: water, waste, and air. Charlotte will host ULI’s Spring Meeting, May 8-10.

  • Building Civic Amenities through Public/Private Partnerships

    04-10-12

    Through a series of public/private partnerships, Charlotte, North Carolina is attracting young, creative people. Their collaboration has helped build $200 million in cultural facilities, and recreational and scenic resources.

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