The Association for Real Property and Infrastructure (ARPI) has awarded a generous grant of $109,000 to the ULI Foundation to enhance cross-regional knowledge exchange and research related to infrastructure strategies, with a particular focus on collaboration between U.S. and British members. The ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate will administer the grant.
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to foster knowledge exchange around infrastructure globally and, in particular, between the United States and the United Kingdom,” says Rachel MacCleery, executive director of the Randall Lewis Center. “Infrastructure is a core component of sustainable, resilient, and thriving places. Transportation infrastructure, utility infrastructure, water and wastewater infrastructure, energy infrastructure, parks and green spaces—all of these types of infrastructure are essential to high-functioning communities.”
The ARPI gift will enable ULI to expand convenings and research focused on innovative infrastructure approaches and successful case studies, fostering information-sharing across the Atlantic. Specific activities are being evaluated in collaboration with ULI members and chapters and are expected to focus on addressing challenges shared by U.S. and British communities.
Founded in July 1992, ARPI officially dissolved at the end of 2024. The not-for-profit organization was formed in 1992 by 50 real estate professionals in the United States and 50 in the United Kingdom, says Alex Cole, partner at Perkins Coie and chair of ARPI. “Over time, our focus changed from sharing information about investment and legal issues related to real estate development to a focus on infrastructure to support sustainable development—looking at transportation issues, aging infrastructure, communications, energy, effects of climate change, and new technologies,” she says. “ULI was the best organization aligned with our ideals.”
The Randall Lewis Center plans to launch two knowledge exchange programs. The first will connect members in London and Miami Beach via study tours that explore different approaches to resilient infrastructure in the two cities.
“Both these cities are building resilience in unique ways, leveraging various forms of infrastructure to create vibrant, future-ready cities,” says MacCleery.
The second program focuses on active and sustainable mobility, linking initiatives in Miami, Florida, and Manchester, England. The Manchester-Miami connection emerged through a new partnership between ULI and ModeScore, an organization that assesses, certifies, and supports sustainable transportation leadership in real estate. A forum planned for June 2025 in Miami will be complemented by a planned sister program in Manchester, leveraging the ARPI funding. The selection of these cities was driven by timing, local chapter engagement, and the cities’ potential for expanding active mobility options.
“When it comes to active transportation, in many places, much of the commercial real estate is already built,” MacCleery says. “So, there’s a key question of what opportunities exist to promote active transportation in buildings. Can you build bicycle storage? Can you have enhanced connections to transit? What can you do to really encourage people to use active and sustainable transportation modes?”
The grant will support a variety of knowledge-sharing tactics, including forums, webinars, and international cohorts. To share insights more broadly across the industry, each of the two programs will result in articles in Urban Land or standalone publications.
“There are a lot of opportunities for mutual learning,” MacCleery says. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to use these resources for meaningful programming. We have a range of strategies for setting goals and assessing the impact of these programs on participants.”
The initiative aligns naturally with the Randall Lewis Center’s mission, she adds: “Infrastructure is one of the core issues that we focus on, in addition to making the business case for—and articulating the value proposition of—sustainability and resilience to real estate leaders.”
ULI members interested in supporting work on resilient, active, and sustainable infrastructure are encouraged to contribute to these efforts through the ULI Foundation.
