Asia’s largest investors are becoming increasingly selective when it comes to acquisitions in Europe and the United States and are looking more to their home markets. That was the view of one of Asia’s leading investment managers and other experts speaking at the ULI U.K. Annual Conference 2017.

Japan’s aging population is well documented, but a drain of population from provincial and rural areas to the cities has also occurred. ULI Japan’s Spring Conference, held in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi Hall, included a panel of exerts examining how real estate, technology, and the sharing economy could boost ailing areas through tourism.

At ULI’s 2017 Spring Meeting in Seattle, attendees heard from voices from outside the land use industry, including Daniel James Brown, author of the New York Timesbest-selling book The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Goldat the 1936 Berlin Olympics. “This is a story that reminds us of who we are at our best,” said Brown.

The first 100 days of the new U.S. administration has been marked by uncertainty and ambiguity—and while foreign real estate investors are concerned, they still believe the United States is a good place to invest. But panelists speaking at the ULI Spring Meeting in Seattle said they are optimistic about reforms to FIRPTA and more investment in infrastructure.

As part of ULI’s tradition of inviting a chief executive officer from outside the real estate industry at the ULI Spring Meeting, CEO Bradley Tilden of Alaska Airlines spoke with Bill Ferguson, chairman and CEO of Ferguson Partners.

Some of America’s largest and oldest industrial powerhouses are moving their headquarters locations from bucolic suburban office parks to vibrant downtown neighborhoods, positioning themselves for growth in the digital age. Two such relocations—Weyerhauser and General Electric—were discussed at the ULI Spring Meeting in Seattle.

The evolution of “smart” cities is about solving specific problems more than sweeping urban transformation, panelists emphasized during the 2017 ULI Spring Meeting. Targeted programs with clear benefits are defining smart cities, not the widespread embrace of new technology, they said. In Seattle, “smart” means expanding the network of low-cost sensors, which is allowing for adaptive traffic signals and detailed weather mapping that can track microclimates and rain surges.

Former vice president Joseph R. Biden Jr. sounded an optimistic note in his address to ULI Spring Meeting attendees in Seattle, showing some of the populist spirit that earned him the nickname “Uncle in Chief.”

Affordable and workforce housing policies and initiatives put in place by the governments of Washington, D.C.; Boston; Denver; and New York City have been selected as finalists for the 2017 ULI Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award

Hong Kong remained the world’s highest-priced office market last year, according to CBRE Group’s latest survey. Four of the top five fastest-growing markets for prime office rent were in Europe, with Stockholm, Berlin, and Dublin joining Belfast on the list.