How can the real estate industry do a better job of meeting the needs of middle-income renters and buyers?

The next-generation wireless telecommunications technology known as 5G, which will operate at vastly higher speeds and be able to handle many times more devices than existing 4G networks, is likely to have significant impacts on the real estate industry, a speaker said at the 2018 ULI Spring Meeting in Detroit.

ULI Global Chairman Tom Toomey closed the record-breaking 2018 Spring Meeting by outlining advancements in ULI’s new strategic direction. In a general session presentation, he announced the appointment of longtime real estate executive Edward (Ed) Walter as the new global chief executive officer for the Institute, and the approval of a member-created Global Strategic Plan to guide ULI’s growth and leadership going forward.

Strong economic fundamentals, a favorable regulatory environment, and plenty of capital to deploy bode well for real estate investments, acquisitions, and development in 2018.

In a number of sessions at the ULI Europe Conference in Berlin, investment and development leaders shared their thoughts on the tech issues that they think hold the most promise to disrupt the industry—and the ones that keep them up at night.

The Institute’s global chairman and a trustee who helped ULI’s development in Europe discuss how the organization has affected their careers—and how to enhance the tools available to members.

U.S.-based hotel chains continually aim to one-up the competition in order to attract customers—particularly younger ones—to their properties and loyalty programs. Now Hilton is surging ahead with its “Connected Room” concept, which allows guests to personalize and control every aspect of their experience using their smartphones.

New technologies and methods of data collection can lead to drastic improvements in city governance, says Martin O’Malley, former Baltimore mayor and governor of Maryland, and now a senior fellow and advisory council chair for MetroLab Network.

Most hotels in the United States operate under the umbrella of large hospitality chains such as Hilton or Marriott. But today’s hotel owners and investors are increasingly flying solo, eschewing big-brand affiliations to create their own independent identities.

Architects must take more responsibility for their work, legendary designer Frank Gehry told a general session audience Tuesday during the 2017 ULI Fall Meeting. Architects need to “get into the fray,” Gehry said.