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An ambitious seven-building development near Toronto’s urban core is an innovative effort to deliver density and a diverse range of uses, along with a walkable urban environment, plenty of green space, and innovative energy storage technology.

Leading development and construction companies participating in a ULI webinar showcased how innovation in design and construction is reducing environmental impact, with significant savings that can offset any added cost.

Panelists at this year’s ULI Singapore Conference, held virtually for the first time, discussed the challenges they face as developers with recent workplace disruptions, how to allow for working remotely while catering to the needs of stakeholders, and the lasting impact the pandemic will have on commercial real estate as a whole.

In a discussion of the ongoing transformation of U.S. retail, panelists participating in the 2020 ULI Spring Meeting Webinar Series agreed that the authenticity, differentiation, and transparency creating a sense of place in mixed-use retail spaces are likely to be what consumers seek in the future. Single-use spaces are about convenience, but that is only half of what consumers say they are looking for.

RCLCO’s Neighborhood Atlas framework initially examined the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country to classify each of their suburbs into one of five categories. RCLCO has expanded its analysis to cover six different types of urban neighborhoods as well, expanding to 100 of America’s largest metropolitan areas.

The latest “Real Estate Economic Forecast,” produced by the ULI Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate, points to a U.S. economy that has likely already hit bottom, with growth resuming in the second half of the year that will soften some of the blow. Panelists on a ULI webinar said that this outlook comes with crossed fingers due to uncertainty related to the path of COVID-19 and the time it takes to develop an effective vaccine.

The Hong Kong government’s recent decision to embrace a new tendering process for the sale of a prime parcel of waterfront land adjoining the Central business district marks a welcome departure from longstanding policy. In the past, such tenders were invariably awarded to the highest bidder without regard to the quality of the proposed development. Now, however, use of a “two-envelope” approach to sell the plot, known as Site 3, means that design also becomes part of the equation.

At the 2020 ULI Singapore Conference, which was held virtually, panelists discussed how hotels have started to offer takeout and delivery to nonguests, in addition to working with the local government to house those under quarantine orders.

An international study assesses and compares 21 leading global business districts, confirming that business districts in western Europe and North America continue to lead the way amid fierce competition from Asian business districts, but all will need to adapt for the future in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Business districts in Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, and Beijing all ranked in the top 10 in this year’s study.

ULI will announce the winner(s) by October, and the jury will allocate a prize purse of $10,000 to one or more winning project teams.

Many countries in Asia have successfully mitigated the spread of COVID-19 through a range of strategies that include universal mask use, testing, sophisticated technology for contact tracing, and strict government quarantine and cleaning protocols, according to leading real estate professionals participating in a recent ULI webinar. The participants described impacts on their real estate businesses, and how the real estate industry has been enlisted in the fight against the coronavirus.

According to survey data from the latest ULI Real Estate Economic Forecast, the current economic recession will be short-lived in the United States, with above-average gross domestic product growth returning in 2021 and 2022. Second, the impact on real estate market conditions and values will be relatively modest and much less severe than the impact experienced during the global financial crisis, with some exceptions by sector.

In 2013, Toronto had record-high rainfall and flash flooding that overwhelmed urban stormwater and river systems, and ultimately caused an estimated $940 million in damage payouts. In 2019, Lake Ontario experienced record lake level conditions. Waterfront Toronto is in the process of transforming this vulnerable site to both revitalize the city’s eastern waterfront and manage flood risk.

Multifamily owners are navigating a sensitive balance when considering options to optimize and address increased energy and water loads while also working with their residents to navigate the new physical risk challenges posed by COVID-19.

Sidewalk Labs recently announced that it would withdraw from a proposed smart city project in Toronto. But Sidewalk is already in talks to repurpose those innovations, said participants in ULI’s Spring Meeting Webinar Series.

Real estate investment in the Asia Pacific region has been on a downward trend since 2019, and market uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, said speakers at a recent ULI Singapore event held virtually.

Solutions are slowly emerging as builders attempt to deliver housing that meets the strong demand from middle-class Americans who struggle to afford a home purchase, according to panelists gathered at a ULI housing conference in February.

New York and San Francisco are the most expensive cities in the United States for construction, according to Arcadis’s 2020 International Construction Cost Index, produced by international design and consultancy firm Arcadis. Both are in the top five internationally, with London, Hong Kong, and Geneva leading the list overall.

Parks and open space have provided a much-needed respite from the quarantine slowing the spread of COVID-19, according to experts participating in a ULI webinar.

The role that health and wellness play in creating resilient buildings and communities has been significantly elevated by the COVID-19 crisis, with healthy design and development strategies becoming key determinants of market competitiveness and investment appeal, according to sustainable real estate experts participating in a webinar hosted by ULI.

In a follow-up to Promoting Housing Affordability, a report released earlier this year, ULI Europe held a webinar to look further into the report’s recommendations and how the COVID-19 crisis will affect the delivery of affordable and intermediate housing.

While operators cannot simply “turn off” an entire commercial property, there are ways to leverage efficiency to reduce the utility cost burden in times of variable usage.

The future of housing is being influenced by evolving demographics, increased urbanization, higher construction costs, and financially constrained consumers who nonetheless demand meaningful, walkable communities, said panelists at the 2020 ULI Housing Conference in Miami. A shower of innovation rains down on the housing designers and builders who sort through options that include prefabricated homes, modular building components, and low-carbon technologies that support sustainable development goals.

ULI has announced 10 finalists in the inaugural 2020 ULI Europe Awards for Excellence, a regional extension of the ULI Global Awards for Excellence dating back to 1979, for projects that exemplify best land use practices from across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.

The ways in which people use and interact in commercial buildings—particularly office spaces—will likely be changed significantly due to the COVID-19 crisis, with building and workplace health being a top concern, according to two healthy-building experts featured on a ULI webinar.

City policy leaders and the real estate industry must work together when creating climate mitigation policies to maximize their effectiveness, according to a ULI report.

Eight member organizations of the Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities Coalition published 10 discussion guides to highlight successful cross-disciplinary collaborations for healthy, equitable communities. When professionals in the fields of the built environment and public health work together, the potential to improve health is multiplied.

In the face of the current environment, we are committed to providing timely, practical guidance; best practices; and global insights—whether developed by ULI or curated from respected third-party sources as we have done here.

ULI has received the 2020 Excellence in Energy Star Promotion Award for its efforts in promoting energy-efficient and sustainable buildings, and its thought leadership on energy conservation throughout the real estate sector.

This article is adapted from Shared Parking, Third Edition, published in spring 2020 by ULI, ICSC, and the National Parking Association.