Urban Land

How Changing Healthcare Delivery Will Affect Land Use

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:40:00 -0400

As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, both the healthcare industry and the real estate owners and developers who provide space for the delivery of healthcare services remain uncertain about the future. 30 million Americans will be newly insured and the aging population will increase demand for medical services.

Hutchison Calls for Energy Independence, More Businesspeople in Congress

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:32:00 -0400

The former Texas senator says she is optimisic about American energy indepenence by the end of this decade, but wishes more business people would run for office, as their perspective is needed on issues like Dodd-Frank, the fiscal cliff, and Obamacare.

Developers, Health Officials Incorporating Wellness Into Planning

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:52:00 -0400

Many trends have converged to create today’s epidemic of obesity and lack of physical fitness, agreed speakers at ULI’s Spring Meeting in San Diego. Real estate developers have the opportunity to contribute to a reversal of at least some of these trends by creating more healthy communities.

'Micro Unit' Developers See Big Future

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:22:00 -0400

While micro-units are coming soon to New York City, developers in Washington state and Texas are already betting on smaller units. These modern efficiencies appeal to those who value location and often don't own a car.

Monday's Numbers: May 20, 2013

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:20:00 -0400

ULI senior fellow Stephen Blank's highlights from panel discussions at ULI Spring Meeting, including an increasing flow of foreign capital into the U.S. real estate markets, increasingly competitive Euro-lending business, and the pricing of real estate debt.

Tech-Savvy Gen Y Wants a Shopping Experience

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:09:00 -0400

America’s 80-million-strong generation Y, the most tech-savvy generation yet, has not forsaken shopping in stores for online purchasing, says a new ULI report released at the Spring Meeting in San Diego.

Barbells of the Market: Appealing to Gen Y and Boomers

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:29:00 -0400

While the baby boomers and generation Y are a big piece of the puzzle, neither generation is monolithic, said panelists at the ULI Spring Meeting. Appealing to all generations may be the safest path for residential and retail developers.

Four Growth Strategies for Uncertain Times

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:17:00 -0400

Whether it comes in the form of the federal sequestration budget cuts or a new startup disrupting an entire industry, Geoff Colvin, author and senior editor of Fortune, says companies and individuals are increasingly have to do work around higher levels of uncertainty.

The Future of Housing Demand Is Compact, Urban, and Transit-friendly

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:28:00 -0400

Demand will continue to rise for infill residential development that is less car-dependent, while consumeers'desire could wane for isolated development in outlying suburbs, according to a new ULI report released at the ULI Spring Meeting in San Diego.

Bruce Ratner Honored by ULI New York

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:44:00 -0400

In April of this year, Bruce Ratner handed the leadership of Forest City Ratner Cos. over to its new CEO, MaryAnne Gilmartin. In May, ULI New York honored him as its 2013 Real Estate Legend.

Hong Kong Leader C.Y. Leung to Headline ULI Asia Pacific Summit

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:34:00 -0400

C.Y. Leung, Hong Kong’s chief executive and the founding chairman of ULI Asia Pacific, is scheduled to address attendees at the ULI Asia Pacific Summit, planned for June 4 to 6 in Shanghai.

Mobilize for Spring Meeting with the New ULI App

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:59:00 -0400

Those attending ULI’s Spring Meeting in San Diego on May 15 to 17 will find it easier to get the most out of the event thanks to a new and improved mobile app for iPads, iPhones, and other smartphones capable of browsing the web.

In Print: Planet of Cities

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:09:00 -0400

Planet of Cities sets an ambitious agenda—nothing less than formulating evidence-based rules for managing the worldwide growth of cities during the 21st century. These rules attack the central ideal of the urban planner’s conventional wisdom—the Containment or Compact City Paradigm, showing it to be unworkable and unrealistic.

Chicago's Transportation Planning Put Walkers, Transit First

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:42:00 -0400

This summer, Chicago is planning to roll out a small-sounding but seismic policy shift: From now on, in the design guidelines for every effort from major streetscape projects to minor roadside electrical work, transportation work must defer to a new “default modal hierarchy.” The pedestrian comes first.

Home Values Near Transit Outperform

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:12:00 -0400

Homes near public transit retained their value better during the recession than their counterparts in auto-dependent areas, according to a recent study. What’s impressive is the extent of it: In five metropolitan areas, residential property values performed 42 percent better on average.

Monday's Numbers: May 6, 2013

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:13:00 -0400

Insurance companies seem to be nearing lending capacity, while securitized lenders continue their comeback as more and more companies establish platforms and more and more institutional investors enjoy the relative value of “super senior” commercial mortgage-backed securities.

Cities Leading the Way on Sustainability

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:06:00 -0400

At the second New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference, titled “Building Sustainable Cities,” panels covering topics ranging from self-driving cars to clean-tech investing in China were hosted by Times columnists, including Thomas Friedman, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Joe Nocera, and Bill Keller.

Public Private Partnership Outlook

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:18:00 -0400

How can public and private partners find a new equilibrium in a time of strained budgets? Members of ULI’s Public/Private Partnership Councils discuss trends influencing the prospects for collaboration between the public and private sectors on development.

ULI Spring Meeting: May 15–17 in San Diego

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:15:00 -0400

Registration is underway for the 2013 ULI Spring Meeting, taking place May 15 to 17 in San Diego.

ULX: Just Add Transit

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:36:00 -0400

Ten transit centers exemplify strategies for inserting new facilities and expanding existing ones in a densifying urban landscape.

A Public University/Private REIT Partnership in Portland

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:05:00 -0400

A fast-growing urban university partners with an equity REIT to add student housing—along with academic and retail space.

San Ysidro: Expanding a Critical Border Passage

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:19:00 -0400

San Diego is the site of one of the most ambitious and expensive public-works projects in history—a $583 million expansion and renovation of the venerable but overloaded San Ysidro Land Port of Entry.

Former Rose Center Fellow Tapped for Transportation

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:05:00 -0400

Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, N.C., has been nominated to be the next secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mayor Foxx and a team of public officials from his administration participated in the 2010-2011 class of public leaders serving as fellows for the ULI Rose Center for Public Leadership program.

Monday's Numbers: April 29, 2013

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:01:00 -0400

The National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries released its first-quarter results for the National Property Index. Returns for the quarter ended March 31 equaled 2.57 percent, composed of appreciation equal to 1.18 percent and income equal to 1.39 percent; almost the same as the prior quarter.

Apgar Award Winners Announced

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:09:00 -0400

ULI has announced the recipients of the 2013 ULI Apgar Urban Land Award, an honor that recognizes industry articles of practical value in Urban Land magazine. Selected articles from the previous calendar year – authored by Jason S. Hellendrung, principal, Urban Studio at Sasaki and Howard J. Kozloff, managing partner, Agora Partners – will both be honored next month at the ULI Spring Meeting in San Diego.

Making It in Mexico

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:51:00 -0400

Mexico is attracting developers from the United States and other nations, but not without the need for local guidance—and a willingness to take risks.

A U.S. Template for a Third-Millennium City

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:34:00 -0400

In 40 years, the U.S. population will grow 36 percent to 438 million in 2050 from 322 million today. At today’s average of 2.58 persons per household, such growth would require 44.9 million new homes. Where and how will the new American homes be built? What urban structures are to be created?

Comeback City, Divided City

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:35:00 -0400

The comeback of the urban core is a striking reversal of long-term trends. But America’s ongoing urban comeback is far from complete. The next and perhaps greater urban challenge is to extend the benefits of rejuvenating cores to a far broader swath of people and neighborhoods.

Monday's Numbers: April 22, 2013

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:50:00 -0400

Industry forecasts are normally made in January (the beginning) or July (the mid-way point) of the year. But why not get a jump on things and forecast the balance of the year as well as 2014 from the viewpoint of the end of April? ULI senior fellow Stephen Blank shares his views on the economy, real estate industry, and the state of the capital markets.

Imagining Land Use in 2063

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:35:00 -0400

How different will land use be in 50 years? While some futurists think suburban tract house and the shopping mall will have gone the way of the dinosaurs, others envision a strikingly different scenario, in which people increasingly will forsake the cities for the rural countryside living in updated, technologically advanced, and economically self-sufficient versions of the 19th-century village.

Civita: San Diego’s New City within the City

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:06:00 -0400

The Civita mixed-use development is a model for San Diego’s “City of Villages” planning strategy. But the development’s progressive ideas blazed new territory, and nearly a decade passed before the developer obtained approvals to begin construction.

ULI Full Members in the News (March/April)

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:51:00 -0400

ULI has received a $300,000 gift from Carolyn and Preston Butcher to endow a series of annual forums dedicated to rental housing issues. Each forum, to be named the ULI/Carolyn and Preston Butcher Forum on Multifamily Housing, will explore aspects of the rental housing industry. The first of the annual events is planned for later this year.

New ULI Endowment to Explore Rental Housing

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:51:00 -0400

In Print: Sustainable Transportation Planning

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:58:00 -0400

Jeffrey Tumlin's book Sustainable Transportation Planning attempts to grasp in shorthand form the big picture—one that integrates motor vehicles with bicycling, transit, parking, car sharing, transit-oriented design of stations, and other considerations.

In Focus: LPL Financial at La Jolla Commons

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:18:00 -0400

Hines is undertaking the largest and most ambitious of the new net-zero energy-producing buildings in the United States—a 13-story office tower in San Diego. The 415,000-square-foot (38,555 sq m) building, slated for completion in 2014, will employ high-performance design and on-site fuel cells that will convert methane gas into electricity.

Untapped Market in Smaller Green Retrofits

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:57:00 -0400

While many "green" building techniques have become the norm for new construction, panelists at a recent ULI forum say significant opportunities exist for upgrading or retrofitting buildings with green systems and technology.

Monday's Numbers: April 15, 2013

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:31:00 -0400

Priced to perfection can easily turn into “priced to disappoint” as competition encourages investors to accept lower and lower yields as the price of entry. But our concern extends past the point of acquisition, as an investor can live with paying a little too much for a property by accepting a lesser initial return on investment.

Kansas State University, the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and the University of Kansas Team Wins Hines Design Competition

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:31:00 -0400

A joint team of graduate students representing Kansas State University, the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and the University of Kansas has been selected as the winner of the 2013 Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition. This three-university team took the $50,000 top prize with their proposed long-term development plan for a downtown Minneapolis site adjacent to the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium location.

CEO Perspective: From a Rendezvous in Paris

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:27:00 -0400

Each year, ULI’s impressive lineup of global meetings kicks off in Europe with our real estate investment and development conference, held in Paris during the winter. The 2013 event, held February 5 and 6, drew more than 500 industry leaders from 24 countries around the world—reflecting a steady increase in the geographic diversity of attendees since we started hosting the meeting 17 years ago.

Case Study: San Diego Central Library

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:27:00 -0400

Funded by the California State Library, Centre City Development, the San Diego Unified School District, and private donors the nine-story library will feature a 350-seat auditorium, three-story domed reading room, 400-seat multipurpose room, and underground parking for 250 vehicles. The sixth and seventh floors will be used as a charter high school, with its own ground-level entrance and lobby, elevators, and stairwell.

When Legacies Bind: How to Avoid Urban Lock-in

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:14:00 -0400

Just as the cities of today are living with choices made long ago, so should people be aware that today’s decisions and technologies will shape the urban spaces that serve future generations, says Steve Rayner, codirector of the Oxford Programme for the Future of Cities.

ULI Forecast Calls for Continued Economic Improvement

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:19:00 -0400

Significant improvement can be expected in both the commercial and residential real estate sectors this year and through 2015, according to ULI's semiannual forecast. Respondents expect transaction volume in commercial real estate to rise from $290 billion last year to $310 billion this year, $340 billion in 2014, and $360 billion in 2015.

Members in the News: Jonathan F.P. Rose

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:49:00 -0400

Jonathan F.P. Rose, founding co-chair of ULI's committee on Climate, Energy and Land Use, was recently profiled in the Wall Street Journal. Entitled "Developing a Social Mission," the article describes Mr. Rose's focus on affordable housing and environmentally friendly buildings, including Via Verde in the South Bronx.

Real Estate Business Barometer: April 2013

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:12:00 -0400

Multifamily commercial transactions vaulted last month, even as all other sectors declined, but buyer appetite showed overall strength. The stall in employment growth and decline in unemployment rate does raise questions about the economy.

Real Estate Business Barometer: April 2013

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:12:00 -0400

Monday's Numbers: April 8, 2013

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:33:00 -0400

This week’s Trepp survey showed spreads unchanged. With an average spread of 164 basis points and ten-year U.S. Treasury bonds coming in 10 basis points, “all in” pricing of 3.5 percent or less for low loan-to-value loans is more than a little attractive from the borrower’s point of view and warranted from the lender’s perspective.

Is CityScan the Future of Code Enforcement?

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:25:00 -0400

Maybe it was the upcoming holiday weekend. Maybe it was worries about Cyprus’s failing financial health. Maybe it was watching the S&P 500 index reach record levels. Whatever it was, this was the quietest period we’ve seen in a very long time.

Monday's Numbers: April 1, 2013

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:25:00 -0400

Top Transportation Sources to Follow on Twitter

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:04:00 -0400

Urban Land compiled a list of the most influential transportation infrastructure people on Twitter. This ranking—updated for the current year—includes the entity’s name and Twitter handle alongside the account’s rankings in reach, engagement, and influence.

Making the Pitch for Greener Building

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:16:00 -0400

Efforts to increase buildings’ energy efficiency have moved beyond the "low-hanging fruit" stage, said industry leaders at the 2013 Building Energy Summit held on March 26 in Washington, D.C. While progress has been made on many fronts, advocates still face challenges in convincing building owners and developers to invest in sustainability.