Whether they are increasing representation of women in the real estate industry, educating students and public officials about development, or helping local communities find solutions to their infrastructure needs, the programs that donors support by contributing to the ULI Foundation have a powerful impact.

Developer Quintin Primo, who has done more than $14 billion worth of transactions over his decades-long career, is currently eyeing revitalizing Chicago’s Loop in his hometown, among other projects.

Almost all commercial real estate firms have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in place in their organizations, with the number of firms adopting formal strategies increasing 5 percent year-over-year, according to the third edition of the Global Real Estate DEI Survey released in January.

Despite the challenges in finding funding, many experts agree that the benefits ofhaving diverse developers in communities of color and across the entire real estate landscape is critical.

Savills chairman and CEO demonstrates the interdependence of driving revenue and DEI

On a recent summer afternoon in Manhattan, Daryl Carter, founder, chairman and CEO of Irvine, California–based Avanath Capital Management and a member of the ULI Global Board, was walking along Lexington Avenue when he—like a superstar—got recognized on the street. The passerby, who previously worked at Freddie Mac, simply wanted a minute of Carter’s time.

Communities of color struggle to thrive in part because real estate appraisals are marred by racial bias, ossified methodology, and industry practices, according to an expert panel at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Dallas.

At the 2021 ULI Fall Meeting, the Redevelopment and Reuse Product Council hosted a panel discussion of Englewood Connect, a project that is part of Chicago’s Invest South/West initiative on the South Side.

ULI recently joined a coalition of real estate associations to conduct the industry’s first global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) survey. The results of the survey were discussed in a January webinar with 92 firms reporting some form of DEI initiative.

The first global benchmark of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) metrics for commercial real estate shows that there is a clear mandate and momentum, with 92 percent of firms adopting programs or initiatives to improve DEI in the workplace. The Global Real Estate DEI Survey is the industry’s first global collection of corporate best practices and employee demographics for commercial real estate.