The Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge in June presented sustainability prizes to the “Best Buildings” in Los Angeles at its annual Innovation Awards. Hudson Pacific Properties, Barings, and CommonWealth Partners, which are both active members of ULI Los Angeles and Greenprint, were among the six projects honored.

Launched in fall 2020, Delve is an evaluation tool that uses artificial intelligence, Geographic Information System, and user input to optimize real estate development by Sidewalk Lab. Currently available on an engagement model, Delve pairs users with a team of consultants to generate highest and best use design options and help find design solutions for the nuances of complex projects. An updated version will be released later this year.

Integrated System Packages (ISPs), developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, are packaged efficiency solutions to be incorporated into the real-estate cycle. ISPs reduce transaction costs for building owners and mitigate disruptions to building occupants.

ULI has announced the 2022 New Real Estate Vanguard, made up of ten outstanding contributors to the real estate sector from across the European region. Selected by the European Young Leaders Group of the ULI and Property EU, each will be featured in the second annual Real Estate Vanguard podcast series.

Real-time virtual models of objects, ranging from a building to an entire city, are an emerging concept that has the potential to transform the built environment and the real estate industry in numerous ways, according to the technology’s proponents.

Developers that want to build momentum and lure users, especially for big projects, need to think beyond the walls of their buildings and instead create places that become nodes for innovation, panelists said at the 2022 ULI Spring Meeting in San Diego. Economic clusters—places anchored by companies or institutions that attract other businesses and residents—are key, said panelists.

Fast Companyhas released the magazine’s annual Most Innovative Companies list for 2022 across 52 categories. ULI member firm Avison Young was named in the category of urban development.

In February, Waterfront Toronto announced the winning submission for a new vision to transform a 12-acre (4.9 hectare) site into a community for residents and visitors to live, work and play.

The ULI Europe Young Leaders Group, which currently includes over 1,100 members, is launching a new initiative looking at bridging the knowledge and innovation gap between the decarbonization goals set out by our industry/governmental leaders and the tools at our disposal to meet them. Several leading members recently hosted a roundtable discussion on this issue and provided a summary of the key takeaways and next steps to tackle this important issue.

ULI has kicked off a new project in partnership with several major real estate organizations–including Allianz Real Estate, Catella, Hines, Redevco and Schroders Capital–that will support the built environment in Europe on its urgent journey to carbon neutrality.