ULI has announced the recipients of the 2013 ULI Apgar Urban Land Award, an honor that recognizes industry articles of practical value in Urban Land magazine.
Selected articles from the previous calendar year – authored by Jason S. Hellendrung, principal, Urban Studio at Sasaki and Howard J. Kozloff, managing partner, Agora Partners – will both be honored next month at the ULI Spring Meeting in San Diego.
“These winners exemplify ULI’s tradition of producing and sharing expert information on land use and real estate issues,” said ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Philips. “They are smart reads backed up by balanced reporting and scientific research. Both articles are refreshing examples of reliable writing in an age of information overload.”
Hellendrung’s winning piece, entitled “HealthLine Drives Growth in Cleveland,” explores the shifting role of the private sector in advancing transit in downtown Cleveland. The HealthLine, the city’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system, has stimulated economic growth along the historic Euclid Avenue since it first opened in 2008. His article describes how the project – a diverse partnership of public, private, nonprofit and neighborhood interests – devised a strategy of catalyzing growth by designing a bus system that emulated a rail line. As a result, Cleveland planners have revised the way they view the link between transportation, jobs, housing and business.
Kozloff was selected as an award winner for his Urban Land story that made the case for urban parks providing a measurable bump in value and competitive advantage for real estate properties. “The Payoff from Parks” cites specific case studies and empirical research that support the argument that public space can create a property premium for lots within several hundred feet of a green space. Kozloff attributes this to a market demand for interaction, which translates into more retail shoppers and revenue for retail investors. In turn, this increase in activity attracts tenants and increases property value for residential.
The award was started in the 1990s by long-time ULI member and Governor, Mahlon “Sandy” Apgar, in order to highlight and recognize the quality of writing in Urban Land magazine. A $500 honorarium is presented for the winning article, judged on the criteria of relevance to current land use and development issues; strength of the authors’ analyses; perceptiveness of the authors’ reasoning; clarity of presentation; and overall contribution to the advancement of ULI’s mission and current priorities.
