Topics
Capital Markets and Finance
During the “Capital Markets: Raising Equity Today” discussion at ULI’s 2025 Spring Meeting in Denver, Colorado, a panel of industry experts and capital providers—moderated by Faron A. Hill, president of Peregrine Oak—shared their insights with a standing-room-only crowd on what they’re looking for in an equity partner—and what makes them walk away from deals.
The hotel industry in the United States faces complex challenges in 2025, according to Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality analytics for the CoStar Group. During the “State of the U.S. Hotel Industry” presentation at the ULI 2025 Spring Meeting in Denver, Colorado, Freitag highlighted the challenges facing the hotel business amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
Capital is widely available for real estate borrowers, and lenders are eager to do business. This takeaway was a key theme from a panel discussion held at the 2025 ULI Spring Meeting in Denver, Colorado.
Design & Planning
In an exciting development for women’s sports in Denver, Colorado, the city council recently approved a $70 million infrastructure grant to purchase and ready a site for construction of a new stadium dedicated to a new National Women’s Soccer League team. This initiative marks a significant milestone not only for women’s soccer but also for the community at large, as it aims to empower women’s sports and create a vibrant hub for activities revolving around them.
Nestled in the forested hills west of Napa Valley, Enchanted Hills Camp—which is owned by LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired—has provided unparalleled recreational opportunities and skills training for blind and low-vision campers of all ages since 1950. After the devastating Napa wildfires of 2017 destroyed more than 25 structures and in excess of 900 trees on the property, the camp was not only rebuilt but also reimagined.
Located on the site of the former Ritz Theater, the South Grand Community Improvement District in St. Louis spearheaded the transformation of Ritz Park in 2014 from vacant lot to popular gathering spot for movies, concerts, plays, markets, and festivals. Unfortunately, the new space was devoid of shade, making it too uncomfortable for daytime use during the summer.
Development and Construction
At the 2025 ULI Asia Pacific Summit—May 26–29, in Hong Kong—a panel of Asian economic and geopolitical experts addressed one of today’s most immediate global concerns: the implications of U.S.–China economic decoupling and the broader geopolitical shifts reshaping global trade and investment.
At the 2025 ULI Spring Meeting, leaders from Oxland Group, Taylor Morrison, and Highland Homes convened for a panel titled “The New Builder/Developer Dynamic: Partnering for Success in a Shifting Market.” Tom Woliver, co-president and founder of Oxland Group, moderated the discussion with Erik Heuser, chief corporate operations officer for Taylor Morrison, and Jeff Stinson, senior vice president of Highland Homes.
Fourteen developments from across Asia have been named winners of the 2025 ULI Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence, one of the real estate industry’s most prestigious honors. Announced at the 2025 ULI Asia Pacific Summit held in May in Hong Kong, this year’s award winners include projects in Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore.
Resilience and Sustainability
Top 10 takeaways from ULI’s Health Leaders Network Alumni Convening in the Netherlands
A panel of sustainability experts recently gathered at the 2025 ULI Resilience Summit in Denver to discuss how the insurability of affordable housing can be greatly enhanced by using resilient construction.
At the Urban Land Institute’s 2025 Spring Meeting in Denver, real estate leaders gathered to share critical lessons learned from the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January. The panel, “Rebuilding Resilience: A Conversation with Leaders on Lessons from the Los Angeles Wildfires,” emphasized the importance of swift disaster response and collaborative approaches, as members unveiled the influential Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 Wildfires report, which they hope will serve as a blueprint for other cities facing disasters.
Issues and Trends
Developer sought to improve people’s lives through her work.
Local governments are rolling out new and updated programs—including tax incentives and zoning amendments—to encourage developers to convert vacant office buildings to some other use.
U.S. tariffs have increased from around 3 percent to 24.8 percent on a trade-weighted rate—the highest in over a century—and would climb to 32.8 percent if all proposed levies were implemented. The Yale Budget Center conservatively estimates that tariffs will cause the personal consumption expenditures price index to rise 3 percent, cutting household purchasing power by $4,900 annually.