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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.

The new ULI Real Estate Economic Forecast is taking a more bullish view on the U.S. economy—at least for the remainder of this year. As compared with the fall survey, key indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP) growth, jobs, and the Consumer Property Price Index (CPPI) all trended higher. But that boost may be short lived with growth tapering in 2019 and 2020.

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.

Behind the new home construction, park improvements, and a rising downtown skyline that are attracting out-of-state migration, some longtime families in Boise, Idaho, are struggling to afford housing in a market that has seen rents more than double in the past decade.

The ULI Health Leaders Network is empowering real estate and land use professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to improve health outcomes in their professional practice and communities. Health leaders interviewed friends or family members—outside of the traditional health or built-environment professions—on whether (and how) they think about ways the built environment the built environment affects their health, the biggest influences on their own health, and where they typically get health-related information. Through these conversations, health leaders gleaned ways to better communicate with a general audience.

Affordable and workforce housing policies and programs put in place by the governments of New York City, Los Angeles County, and the states of New Jersey and New York have been selected as finalists for the 2018 ULI Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award. The annual award, presented by ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, recognizes innovative ways the public sector is addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis.

The Dodge Momentum Index, a leading indicator for construction spending for nonresidential buildings, moved 1.4 percent higher in July to 169.8 from the revised June reading of 167.3. The commercial component of the Momentum Index grew by 3.3 percent, while the institutional component fell 1.5 percent.

Can vacant theaters, banks, schools, libraries, churches, apartment buildings, and storefronts that once were mainstays of Detroit neighborhoods be preserved while also providing an economic boost? That was the issue facing a ULI Advisory Services panel that gathered in the Motor City in late July.

According to a new report from Cushman & Wakefield, flexibile office space could triple in size in the coming years, representing 5 to 10 percent of office inventory in many markets. Investors also believe coworking is well positioned to weather an economic downturn.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people in the Carolinas, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and China, and to those who are responding with rescue and relief aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut.