Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village is a 600-year-old traditional settlement located in the southern part of the city that was once home to the aristocratic families of Korea’s Joseon dynasty. Although many of the area’s historic hanok homes have disappeared over the centuries, rebuilding work during the 1930s ensured some 1,200 traditional homes still exist in the area.

Land use and urban planning experts representing ULI will be making recommendations to the Virgin Islands Housing Authority on creating a long-term plan for rebuilding the territory’s St. Croix district to increase the resilience of the built environment, revive the district’s economy, and reinforce its appeal to residents as well as visitors.

W. Edward “Ed” Walter, a widely renowned real estate industry leader and most recently the Steers Chair in Real Estate at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, is the Institute’s new global chief executive officer. Walter brings to ULI more than 35 years of management experience in the real estate profession across a variety of disciplines including hotels, multifamily, and land development, with a strong emphasis on capital markets and investments.

ULI Young Leaders pitch ideas for a site being developed by Swire Properties in the Star Street neighbourhood in Wan Chai, Hong Kong—an area full of heritage and historic buildings.

In 2017, ULI Foundation Governor Bruce Etkin pledged $100,000 to support four additional district council student scholarship programs, which began at ULI Colorado, supporting undergraduate and graduate students as they launch their careers in real estate and other land use professions. The funds for the expanded program will be competitively awarded over two years to district councils to support student memberships, networking and mentorship activities, and involvement with ULI at the local level.

The challenge of developing and maintaining a competitive edge is important for cities around the world. In Italy, this issue is framed by distinct pressures and challenges posed by the country’s history and strategic role in Europe. ULI has published a report analyzing the international competitiveness of Milan and Turin, two of Italy’s major cities.

ULI’s ongoing evolution as a member-driven, member-focused organization was discussed by Americas Chairman Trish Healy during a general session presentation at the Spring Meeting. “This direction is based on your premise that members are our unique product, and our members’ knowledge and expertise are ULI’s content,” Healy said.

Jill Ferrari, a partner at Shelborne Development and vice chair of ULI Michigan, and Eric Larson, chief executive officer of both the Larson Realty Group and the Downtown Detroit Partnership, who is also serving as a co-chair of the ULI Spring Meeting Host Committee, were recently interviewed on a podcast produced by Crain’s Detroit Business.

A redevelopment plan for a Toronto site presented by a team from Cornell University has taken top honors in the 2018 ULI Hines Student Competition.

Urbanizing cities of the U.S. Southeast, such as Columbia and Greenville, South Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina, are facing the trade-offs of continued growth. Speaking at the 2018 ULI Carolinas Meeting, the mayors of those three cities discussed how and where their cities invest to attract job growth, while attempting to avoid displacement of longtime residents.