Panelists at a session titled “Around the World in 60 Minutes: Places People Are Investing” at the ULI Europe Paris 2011 annual conference in February said there is money to be made in both emerging markets and developed markets, but that the opportunities differ widely. Find out the specifics as well as which countries saw heavy investment in 2009 and 2010 and which saw the biggest declines.

In a session titled “Making Sense of the Global Economy in 2011” that took place at ULI Europe’s Paris 2011 annual conference in February, it was noted that the United States is recovering faster than Europe because U.S. policy has been much more aggressive in supporting the economy after the crash. Read what attendees had to say about the other challenge facing Europe—the sovereign debt crisis.

Dynamic, large-scale projects that create new centers of activity can be catalysts of downtown revitalization. Sundance Square in Fort Worth, the Columbia Heights revitalization in D.C., and L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles—the three 2010 ULI Awards for Excellence winners—are recent examples. Read how these projects created benefits that extend well beyond the neighborhoods where they stand.

As the country becomes more racially diverse, there will be a need for renewal and change in various industry sectors, including land use and development, to reflect the new demographic reality and to effectively mainstream outsiders into the land use and development industries. Learn about approaches taken across the country—from Boston to Los Angeles and Chicago to Atlanta.

Following leaders Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, and the District of Columbia area, the most active 2010 apartment construction markets include Los Angeles, Tampa, Seattle, Baltimore, Boston, Miami, and Indianapolis. Construction lenders are now competing for deals in these and other promising markets as developers make plans for the post-recession economy.

According to Fitch, the 60-day delinquency rate on cmbs offerings reached 8.59% as of January 31, 2011, as compared to 8.23% a month earlier, and 6.00% as of a year earlier. Fitch tracks the performance of approximately 38,000 loans valued at approximately $416 billion. Read where Steve Blank advises putting your “rescue money” if it is looking for a “home.”

For real estate entrepreneurs, 2011 should be seen as the year of the possible – but not as a time when all dreams come true, says Sheridan “Schecky” Schechner, managing director and U.S. co-head of real estate investment banking at Barclays Capital in New York City. Read what Schecky Schechner states about the conventional wisdom regarding the current and future commercial real estate market.

Described as “the heart of Detroit’s development story,” Campus Martius, a 2.5-acre (1-ha) public park that opened in November 2004, has become an economic engine for Motown, spurring two major office buildings adjacent to the park as well as residential developments and restaurants nearby. Learn who and what made this project the first-ever recipient of the ULI Amanda Burden Open Space Award.

Employing an approach that includes new development and adaptive use, and that leverages its solid economic base and strong job growth, Nashville, Tennessee, is seeing successful redevelopment of both its urban core and waterfront. Read how projects ranging from for-rent workforce housing to mixed-use development to a convention center are poised to drive continued economic development in Music City.

All 12 Federal Reserve Districts reported some level of improvement in economic activity during the most recent survey period (mid-November to Mid-January) as well as for 2011, including improved hiring plans. Read a summary of select highlights from the survey.