The winners, each of which demonstrates a comprehensive level of quality and a forward-looking approach to development and design, include seven projects in the United States, three in Asia, and one in Europe.

The Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, more commonly known as the Wharf, occupies a mile-long (1.6 km) stretch along the Washington Channel in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia had become largely disconnected from its waterfront in recent years, but the Wharf is changing that by bringing restaurants, housing, and entertainment venues to the neighborhood.

The Scioto Peninsula Cultural District had been a developmental black hole, only recently coming to fruition after seven failed planning attempts within the past century. The district spans 48.2 acres (19.5 ha) and comprises four distinct amenities: the Scioto Greenways, a satellite location of the American Museum of Natural History in Columbus’s Center of Science and Industry, the National Veterans’ Memorial and Museum, and Dorrian Green.

In June, a group of 125 of Denver’s public-, private-, and nonprofit-sector leaders came to study Copenhagen’s brand of sustainable urbanism with the Denver Downtown Partnership (DDP) Urban Exploration program. The DDP study group included 61 members of ULI Colorado, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, several Denver City Council members, and city and county staff members. The study tour explored the city of Copenhagen “through three lenses: livability, equity, and economic innovation, in which growth goes hand-in-hand with quality of life,” said one official.

Ten adaptive use projects turn vintage buildings into hospitality uses.

Under the Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act, the District is planning to move entirely to renewable electricity by 2032, with the goal of cutting the city’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by that year as part of its broader commitment to becoming entirely carbon neutral by 2050. To meet those goals, building owners will be required to make energy retrofits on about half of the buildings in the city. To help owners prepare for these changes, ULI partnered with the DowntownDC Business Improvement District for an Advisory Services panel in July.

At the ULI U.K. Annual Conference, a range of speakers from across Europe provided fresh perspectives on how the real estate industry is evolving to meet the needs of both the economy and society, including use of smarter sensor technology, creation of micro-units for both housing and retail space, as well as assistance for British cities in tapping sources of capital for regeneration.

Georgia Tech’s Eco-Commons project demonstrates cutting-edge sustainable building concepts in partnership with the Kendeda Foundation. Members of ULI Atlanta were recently included in a hard-hat tour of the site, which is under construction.

Ten buildings ranging from 18 to 64 storeys model innovative ways to reach the sky.

As pop-up outdoor dining and alleyway murals become more commonplace, three speakers at 2019 ULI Florida Summit advocated for a more crafted approach to placemaking by infusing projects with local art and entertainment. Led by Carol Coletta, senior fellow with the Kresge Foundation, the session on creative placemaking examined what has—and has not—worked.