Speakers mixed good news and uncertainty at the “ULI New York: Real Estate Outlook 2025" event, held January 22, 2025, at the Stern School of Business at New York University in Manhattan by ULI New York in partnership with NYU Stern | Chen Institute.

According to Morningstar DBRS, the Los Angeles–area wildfires have caused record property damage, with insured losses that could reach more than $30 billion. Despite many uncertainties on the path ahead for recovery and rebuilding of property and infrastructure, solutions are likely to require a lot of time and capital, as well as public and private stakeholders working in tandem.

Investors will be facing an environment wherein slower economic growth is expected in the coming years, explained Lawrence Lennon, director, capital markets at CBRE Vietnam, who spoke at a mid-November workshop during ULI Asia Pacific’s REImagine 2024 in Vietnam.

In the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, two not-for-profit organizations—Fresh Hope Communities, the public benevolent institution entity of churches of Christ in NSW and ACT, and Nightingale Housing of Brunswick, Victoria—came together to develop a building that contains 54 units renting at 80 percent of market rates as well as two community-focused commercial spaces. The Churches of Christ Property Trust has provided a 99 year lease for the land, which allows the units to remain affordable far beyond a more typical 10-year period.

Architecture is a profession steeped in tradition, built on a romantic story of young talent learning at the drafting tables of those who have mastered their craft. This generations-old tale carries on, but how practical or healthy is it for us to hold on to this story today?

Shenzhen’s Nantou Ancient City project represents a groundbreaking approach to revitalizing China’s historic urban villages in a way that preserves their cultural heritage and community fabric. After China’s government designated Shenzhen as a Special Economic Zone in 1980, the city’s more than 400 urban villages grew rapidly to provide informal housing for an influx of migrant workers. The result: high-density residential areas that maximized rental income but often compromised on fire safety and hygiene standards.

According to CBRE’s “North America Data Center Trends H2 2024" report, the overall vacancy rate in primary markets fell to a record-low 1.9 percent at year-end. Only a handful of facilities with 10 MW or more are slated for delivery in 2025 and are not yet leased, reflecting the scarcity of large-scale available inventory.

In the July-August 1967 edition of Urban Land, Thurston H. Ross delivered a speech on high-rise schools, the abandonment of the front and backyard concept, and a return to the town meeting type of government in the future.

Nestled in the shadow of SSM Health’s new $550 million hospital and Saint Louis University’s medical and undergraduate campuses, the former Steelcote Manufacturing Company Paint Factory and its neighboring parcels constituted a forgotten remnant of St. Louis’ proud industrial past. Few observers, if any, envisioned the area’s potential for housing not only students and hospital employees but also national entertainment options such as Topgolf and a major retailer, Target.

India, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, is urbanizing rapidly. By 2030, more than 40 percent of its populace is projected to live in urban areas, contributing there to more than 70 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. The demand for commercial and residential spaces is surging, which attracts global investors eager to capitalize on this dynamic market. This rapid growth comes with a pressing question, however: can India urbanize without following the carbon-heavy trajectory of other developed countries?

Building on ULI’s impactful work accomplished at the city scale, a neighborhood-focused workshop brought together industry experts from across Europe and from the United States, representing a wide spectrum of the real estate value chain. The aim was to share diverse insights, cross pollinate ideas and develop practical solutions towards decarbonization and for a better collaboration.

As buildings become more efficient and run on “cleaner” energy sources, the industry’s attention will need to include embodied carbon—emissions associated with the manufacturing and transportation of building materials, as well as the construction, maintenance and disposal of buildings.

ULI New York recently hosted a panel “The Changing Face of Commercial Real Estate—a Program in Recognition of Black History Month,” through a partnership among ULI New York, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), and Council of Urban Real Estate (CURE), at REBNY’s Manhattan office, highlighting successful professionals of color.

In the journey toward embedding racial equity in real estate development, the 10 Principles for Embedding Racial Equity Development report, published by Urban Land Institute, serves as more than just a set of guidelines—they are seeds of transformation. When thoughtfully planted in the soil of our companies, projects, and communities, these seeds have the potential to grow into something profound: stronger, more equitable systems that uplift everyone.

A group of experts representing ULI visited Buffalo, New York, last November to make recommendations for reviving the city’s Jefferson Avenue Corridor, the main thoroughfare of a historically black area that has suffered a decline in commercial, social, and civic activity and engagement as the result of decades of disinvestment and a recent racially motivated shooting.