Former ULI chairman J. Ronald Terwilliger has been chosen as this year’s winner of the J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, the Institute’s highest honor.

U.S. job growth was reported to be 169,000 in August. All in all, the jobs numbers do not add a lot of directional clarity given all the things that are still on our plate, including Syria, U.S. budget talks, and the debt ceiling, among others. Everyone wants to know when QE3 will “start to end” and tapering will begin; your guess is as good as ours.

Several years ago, while I was with ERA, I participated in the preparation of a redevelopment plan for the beautiful harbor front in Hamilton, Bermuda. When our work was completed, someone raised the question: what about rising sea levels?

California cities are fighting back against state efforts to balance a $26 billion budget shortfall in part by eliminating redevelopment agencies. Cities are filing suit against the state, the governor, and legislators for forcing them to pay what some term a high ransom to preserve their redevelopment agencies. Read what the mayor of Riverside says redevelopment efforts contributed to his city.

China’s real estate sector has a long track record of defying its naysayers. Land and property values have time and again faced down a raft of apocalyptic predictions as they broke one record after another. Pricing may have wobbled at times as credit dried up and speculators ran for the hills, only for sentiment to quickly reverse and lift the market to new highs. But is this time different?

How are retailers doing in the wake of the ongoing economic downturn? According to a panel of national large-format retailers convened during ULI’s 2011 Fall Meeting in Los Angeles, they’re doing better than some might expect—thanks to smaller and more efficient footprints, growing use of social media to reach their clientele, sophisticated branding, and a focus on customer service.

From skyscrapers to landscapers, from multifamily developments to retail emporiums, increased awareness of lower operating costs, added health benefits, and the competitive value of sustainability is driving increased demand for sustainable design in California. Read about some of the projects emphasizing sustainable design, and what professionals see as the future of the practice in the state.

Projects from Munich, Milan, and Milton Keynes, U.K., have been selected as winners in the ULI Awards for Excellence: Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) competition. Read why each of these projects was selected for the award, and why a fourth project from Saudi Arabia was singled out for special commendation by the jury.