Thanks at least in part to the Super Bowl, people in Indianapolis will wake up to the football off-season next week with a newly expanded convention center, a new central civic space, a newly revitalized low-income neighborhood, even a new downtown skyline.

Usable outdoor public space is critical for the viability of any community, whether it is an urban metropolis or a suburban hamlet. However, development of such places—and their maintenance and operation—requires a significant amount of capital. Read about an approach to financing in Texas involving public/private partnerships that could be applied elsewhere in the country.

Governments across the nation have long recognized the need to preserve open space. What may have been underestimated, however, is the commercial value of open space and its potential to create value.

New York City Department of City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden talks to Urban Land magazine about the value of urban open space, how it can be a catalyst for economic development, why she created the Amanda Burden Urban Open Space Award.

At ULI’s 2011 Fall Meeting, a panel explored the connection between parks and real estate value, explaining the planning, design, and management techniques for creating successful urban parks. The creation of urban open space is increasingly recognized as a value generator for real estate, read about what the panel stressed as the best success for transformative success.

Lured by the weak dollar, buyers from Europe, Asia, and South America are reentering the U.S. real estate market, buoying the hopes of developers and financial institutions across the country. Read more to learn what advice Mike Mixer, managing partner in the Las Vegas office of Colliers International, has for ULI members looking to attract the interest of out-of-country purchasers.

One of the current trends in urban development is the integration of institutions with the neighborhoods surrounding them. In light of this, ULI recently conducted an advisory panel for D.C.’s Gallaudet University. Read more to learn about the panel’s recommendations to help Gallaudet with its master plan, with a specific focus on how the institution might better interact with its neighbors.

The London real estate market presents opportunities for all investors—from those seeking core returns to those with an appetite for risk. Thanks to its transparency, international investment is a solid feature of the property market, maintaining its presence even in the depth of the financial crisis. Read more to learn about ULI member Greg Cooke’s top ten reasons for investing in London.

Recently, the American Planning Association released its annual list of “Great Places in America”—including ten great streets in big cities like Washington, D.C., and small towns like Galena, Illinois.

Veteran British journalist Doug Saunders, in his thought-provoking, painstakingly researched, and gripping book Arrival City, examines the receptor communities for those fleeing the crushing subsistence of a farm economy, which are stereotyped as dead-end zones with no prospect of change or upward mobility. Read a review of the book, and find out why Saunders believes this view of such places is wrong.