Ten outstanding female real estate professionals were recognized at the recent ULI Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C., as the 2019 recipients of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) Prologis Achievement Award. Recipients of the prestigious award were hosted at the meeting by senior WLI members, who are serving as mentors to the awardees to help them advance in the industry and strengthen their engagement with the Institute. The WLI Prologis Achievement Award is part of the Institute’s focus on increasing diversity and inclusivity throughout the Institute and the industry.

The New York City Housing Authority and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority have been selected by the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing as the joint winners of the 2019 Robert C. Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award, which is an annual recognition of the innovative ways that the public sector is addressing the country’s affordable housing crisis. The winners, selected by a jury of nationally renowned housing industry leaders, were announced today during ULI’s 2019 Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C. Terwilliger Center Founder and former ULI Chairman J. Ronald Terwilliger served as the jury chairman.

Plaza Roberto Maestas in Seattle; the Lindley in Bethesda, Maryland; and the Watson in Quincy, Massachusetts, have been selected as the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing’s 2019 Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award. The annual award recognizes best practices in the development of housing that is affordable to people with a broad range of incomes. Developments eligible for the award are those in which all or a portion of the units are affordable to households earning up to 120 percent of the median income in the areas in which the projects are located.

An expansion of ULI’s highly regarded advisory panels and education programs, an increased focus on diversity and inclusivity, and investments in member-facing technology are all helping reinforce ULI’s real estate leadership around the globe, ULI Global Chief Executive Officer W. Edward Walter says. Speaking to attendees during the opening session of the Institute’s Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C., Walter cited progress being made to position ULI as the world’s foremost real estate organization. ULI’s work to expand the reach and impact of its mission-focused work and improve member engagement is “part of our effort to make ULI the leading global real estate organization,” Walter said. “Each of you can help us get there by getting involved and staying involved in ULI.”

The Fall issue of Urban Landis always special; it’s the biggest magazine of the year, and it always takes a deep look at the city hosting the Institute’s biggest annual event—the Fall Meeting. As this year’s meeting is in Washington, D.C.—the site of ULI’s global headquarters—this issue affords us the chance to show off some of the best places in our home city.

Over the past 10 years, Washington, D.C., has reversed years of population decline and has evolved into a highly sought-after place in which to live and work. It is a place defined by neighborhoods teeming with activity, with high appeal to both younger and older generations. It is gratifying to recognize that ULI and its members have played a key role in this change.

The ULI Building Healthy Places Initiative is delighted to announce and congratulate the participants in the third cohort of the ULI/Randall Lewis Health Mentorship Program, which is generously supported by ULI Foundation Governor Randall Lewis. In addition to being matched with a ULI Full Member mentor based on professional interests, mentees earn the opportunity to attend the 2019 ULI Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C., and the 2020 ULI Spring Meeting in Toronto, where they will experience Product Council meetings and health-focused programming alongside their mentors.

The cover package for the 2019 Fall issue is titled “Planned + Community: Drawing together people with common interests.” Other topics include “Winners: Global Awards for Excellence,” “Fall Meeting: Washington, D.C.,” and “CRE Business: Playing Catch-Up on Diversity.”

Amazon’s choice to locate a second headquarters in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is highlighting the region’s need to provide an ever-increasing number of educated workers to fill new technology jobs each year. While many groups are working to address this issue, the Greater Washington Partnership (GWP) has launched a well-funded effort to “create impact at scale.” GWP’s Capital CoLAB—which stands for Collaborative of Leaders in Academia and Business—is moving quickly to carry out its mission and already has garnered more than $6 million in grants.

A week after the release of a new ULI report on urban heat effects and the built environment, a ULI Washington event focused on how the city is planning for and responding to urban heat issues. While Washington, D.C., is in many ways a leader on this issue, speakers agreed that equity issues need to be addressed in addition to specific policy changes.