ULI MEMBER-ONLY CONTENT: As COVID-19 has changed housing preferences and led to some migration away from metropolitan areas, climate change also is beginning to trigger migration in the United States, said experts at the 2020 ULI Virtual Fall Meeting.

Multifamily housing experts have seen financial and energy savings, plus improved resident retention, from their efforts in sustainability, health, and reduced energy use.

Two Heitman executives explained how their firm applies climate risk analysis—at both the asset level and the community level—when evaluating investments. They spoke on a Virtual Fall Meeting panel announcing a new research report, Climate Risk and Real Estate: Emerging Practices for Market Assessment, recently issued by ULI and Heitman.

Registration is open for the 2020 ULI Virtual Fall Meeting, being held October 13–15. An ambitious program is being offered, including tours and networking opportunities that will be facilitated online.

As is common in the infrastructure and regulatory world, economic analysis is increasingly being used in the real estate industry to provide quantifiable insights into the long-term outcomes of design and investment strategies related to owner, occupant, and community impacts. Companies are using evidence-based research to understand how changes in the workplace can have a direct impact on both employee well-being and bottom-line financials.

Demonstrating social value and the impact of real estate on a community is becoming more integrated into the decision-making and investment strategies for real estate. During a ULI Europe webinar, panelists said that the biggest challenge was addressing how the multifaceted nature of social impact can be measured accurately.

ULI has received the 2020 Excellence in Energy Star Promotion Award for its efforts in promoting energy-efficient and sustainable buildings, and its thought leadership on energy conservation throughout the real estate sector.

Aging high-rise residential towers in the city of Toronto are home to nearly 13 percent of the current population, but are falling behind on maintenance. A ULI Advisory Services panel was invited to evaluate a range of solutions.

“Cities need to grow to thrive,” Dan Doctoroff said. “But we can’t take growth for granted.” Doctoroff is the chairman and CEO of Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet. Doctoroff was speaking at the 2020 ULI Europe Conference.

Nearly every speaker at the ULI Europe 2020 Conference in Amsterdam had something to say about one issue: climate change. The property industry is directly at risk from increasingly frequent extreme weather events, and stricter regulations are shaping the development and maintenance of properties.