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Brett Widness

Brett Widness is the managing editor of Urban Land. Previously, he worked in online editorial at the Washington Post, AARP, and AOL, now part of Yahoo!

Philanthropic Impact
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Fall Meeting
Video: Building the Future with Wayne Ratkovich
A native of Los Angeles, Wayne Ratkovich, a ULI Life Trustee and Americas Executive Committee in addition to being founder and CEO of The Ratkovich Company, talks about the importance of ULI in his career.
October 9, 2017
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Brett Widness
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Economy, Market & Trends
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News
In Brief: Multifamily Rents’ Growth Outside of Big U.S. Cities
National rents have barely moved through the entire peak rental season and into September, according to data from Yardi Matrix, marking the longest period of stagnation in recent history—four consecutive months. Coming in at $1,354 for the month of September, the average rent is only 2.2 percent higher than this time last year.
October 9, 2017
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Brett Widness
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Finance & Investment
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Innovation Districts & Corridors
In Brief: Investment in U.S. Data Centers Already above Record Levels for 2017
According to a new report from CBRE, investment in the U.S. data center sector reached record levels in the first half of 2017. First half of 2017 investment totaled $18.2 billion, more than double that for all of 2016 (inclusive of all single asset, portfolio and entity-level/M&A transactions). At this pace, investment in the data center sector is on track to surpass the total for the three previous years combined.
October 2, 2017
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Brett Widness
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In Depth
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Urban and Regional Planning
In Memory of Nina J. Gruen
Longtime ULI leader Nina J. Gruen, who pioneered the use of behavioral research to predict market demand for commercial and residential real estate, passed away on September 15, 2017. She was 83. Gruen and her husband, Claude Gruen, joined ULI in 1971, not long after founding Gruen Gruen + Associates, a renowned San Francisco–based firm that continues to provide research-based consulting and implementation services to the real estate industry and public land use and planning policy makers. Gruen, who remained active in ULI throughout her career, was elected as the Institute’s first female trustee in 1982, and was named an honorary member in 1996.
September 18, 2017
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Brett Widness
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Development and Construction
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Innovation Districts & Corridors
In Brief: Can Growth in Health Care and Other Categories Save America’s Malls?
A new report from CBRE highlights that the two categories occupying the most space in U.S. malls—department stores at 48.7 percent of gross leasable area, and apparel, accessories, and shoes at 29.4 percent—also posted relatively tepid retail-sales growth from 2011 to 2016. In contrast, categories with stronger retail-sales growth, such as health care, still account for relatively little occupancy of U.S. malls
September 11, 2017
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Brett Widness
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Economy, Market & Trends
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News
In Brief: Apple’s High-Yielding Retail Space
Sales per square foot at all but a few public retailers have declined to an average of $325 ($3,498 per sq m), down from nearly $375 ($4,036 per sq m) in the early 2000s, according to research by CoStar. But while e-commerce has been disruptive to traditional retailers, several companies, including Apple, Tiffany, and lululemon, have managed to increase sales.
August 9, 2017
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Brett Widness
Economy, Market & Trends
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News
In Brief: Though Optimism Has Decreased, More Than Half See Continued Strength in U.S. Real Estate
Respondents to RCLCO’s latest Market Sentiment Survey are feeling less optimistic than they were six months ago, but most still see continued stability in market conditions for the near to medium term. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents believe the next U.S. real estate market downturn will not begin until at least 2019.
July 31, 2017
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Brett Widness
Design and Planning
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News
Video: Timelapse of National Building Museum’s “Hive” Installation
The National Building Museum’s latest Summer Block Party installation – “Hive” – in Washington, D.C., is now open to the public. Designed by Studio Gang, an American architecture and urban design practice with offices in Chicago and New York, Hive is built entirely of more than 2,700 wound paper tubes featuring a reflective silver exterior and a vivid magenta interior, and reaches a height of 60 feet.
July 18, 2017
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Brett Widness
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Development and Construction
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Smart Cities
Five Places U.S. Employers Are Finding New Tech Talent
JLL’s latest report analyzes markets with a high concentration of in-demand, affordable tech talent and available real estate, much of which is located near research universities that can be tapped for new employees.
July 5, 2017
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Brett Widness
Development and Construction
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News
In Brief: Global Prime Office Rents Rise 1.9 Percent Year-over-Year
Central Hong Kong and London’s West End topped the latest list of prime office occupancy costs, according to CBRE Research’s latest annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costsreport. “The global top ten list reflects the ongoing strength of global gateway cities in attracting and maintaining a successful occupier base,” said Richard Barkham, global chief economist at CBRE.
June 26, 2017
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Brett Widness
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