The commercial real estate sector must adjust to a trend in which corporate tenants increasingly see buildings as tools to recruit and retain talent and boost workforce productivity, panelists said at the ULI Spring Meeting in Nashville. Real estate developers need to focus on designing innovative, customized spaces and offering amenities that help their tenants meet their strategic goals concerning human capital.

Outgoing ULI Global Chairman Thomas Toomey was honored at the 2019 Spring Meeting by the Institute’s leadership at the Global Governing Trustees dinner, which was held at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame. In remarks to the group, Global Chief Executive Officer Ed Walter praised Toomey for his leadership and the financial support he provided for the creation and implementation of ULI’s Global Strategic Plan, which seeks to improve the member experience through investments and initiatives to strengthen member engagement and impact.

Homeownership is still the American dream, but the home Americans are dreaming about does not look like yesterday’s traditional house with its formal living and dining rooms, large yard, and price that is out of reach for many people. A panel of industry experts addressed the U.S. shortage of housing during the ULI Spring Meeting, prompted by a new report, Attainable Housing: Challenges, Perceptions, and Solutions, from ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing and RCLCO.

New applications for artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, and the “internet of things” promise to transform the commercial real estate industry and create new ways to generate revenue and reduce expenses, said the head of a real estate–oriented investment fund speaking at the 2019 ULI Spring Meeting.

Outgoing ULI Global Chairman Thomas Toomey reflected on the Institute’s uniqueness as well as its future as an organization with a strong philanthropic culture during remarks made at the 2019 Spring Meeting’s closing session. “What makes [ULI] unique is that our work, performed by ULI members and real estate leaders, changes people’s lives by changing cities for the better. No other real estate institution comes close to doing so much for so many,” Toomey said.

ULI Americas President Gwyneth Cote emphasized to Spring Meeting attendees the importance of connecting the Institute’s local initiatives to other areas of the organization, sharing insights based on numerous meetings with district councils since joining ULI’s executive team in December. “Each visit reaffirms the much-cited quote ‘ULI is only as strong globally as it is locally,’” Cote said

Development of women leaders in the real estate business was the theme at the Women’s Leadership Initiative and Larson Leadership Initiative Luncheon during the 2019 ULI Spring Meeting in Nashville. Bethany Logan Ropa, managing director at UBS Investment Bank, interviewed Karen Hutton, president and CEO of Hutton, a diversified real estate development and construction firm based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

ULI Global Chief Executive Officer W. Edward Walter is the featured thought leader in the latest edition of “Leading Voices in Real Estate.” Walter reflects on his early years in real estate with Trammell Crow Residential; his service as chief financial officer and chief executive officer for Host Hotels and Resorts Inc.; why real estate continues to attract the best and brightest; and what he believes distinguishes ULI from other real estate organizations.

Once a declining industrial expanse, Wedgewood-Houston has morphed into an enclave for creative businesses and emerged as one of Nashville’s hottest neighborhoods.

A major mixed-use development on the old convention center site aims to tie downtown neighborhoods together and enhance the 24/7 urban vibe.