Corporate Partner
Mon May 12
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Economic Dynamics and Investments Transforming Mountain Resort Communities
The state of mountain resort communities is being impacted by changing demographics, aging infrastructure, housing shortages, climate change, and expanding year-round tourism to drive economic growth. The public sector (primarily municipalities), developers, and resort owners are investing hundreds of millions of dollars. The investments aim to modernize, diversify, and create resilient resort communities. The desired outcomes and the expected returns on investment are strategic to achieve success today and be relevant for the next generation.
Mon May 12
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Leveraging Government-Owned Land as a Catalyst for Private Investment
The government is a huge holder of both land and real estate. In some jurisdictions, the potential market value of land can exceed the total gross domestic product of that jurisdiction. This session will explore the potential of using government-owned land to attract private investors in fiscally constrained environments. The discussion will focus on two archetypes of sectors: revenue-driven sectors and cost-driven sectors. Revenue-driven sectors include real estate subsectors, such as residential, commercial, and hospitality. These sectors rely on land as a primary revenue driver, where the ultimate product is the use of real estate space. Cost-driven sectors include industries such as manufacturing, which require land for hosting production facilities, and service sectors such as banks, which use office space to deliver services. Each archetype represents unique opportunities for leveraging land as a currency to stimulate private investments. Panelists will share insights on effective strategies and examine the role of government-owned land in facilitating private investments in these sectors, highlighting the potential for economic growth, job creation, and innovation.
Mon May 12
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
State of the U.S. Hotel Industry
As "revenge travel" is waning and group demand is soaring, this session will examine the forces that drive the current U.S. hotel industry. Higher-end hotels post record room rates while the lower end of the market is showing cracks. This session will examine the reasons for the current bifurcation and how this shapes the current in-construction pipeline and deal environment.
Mon May 12
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Building Business, Building Communities: The Value of Affordable Commercial Space
Category
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
As cities grow and prosper, existing, diverse communities often face displacement pressures. While much attention has been paid to residential displacement and the creation of affordable housing, there are fewer examples of anti-displacement and retention strategies for small businesses and the creation of affordable commercial space. Panelists from public, private, and civic organizations from across the country will speak about efforts to create affordable commercial space on retail corridors, in private development projects, and via community-owned real estate—complemented by other important types of support for small businesses, with an emphasis on supporting businesses of color and women-owned businesses. These strategies are important not only for advancing equitable economic development, but for ensuring unique and authentic retail environments that create both social and economic value. The panel will include an overview of national trends and case studies from different cities. This includes the Atlanta Beltline's efforts to support commercial affordability in Atlanta, the Center for Community Wealth Building's efforts to leverage community-owned real estate in Denver, and a private developer's efforts to create affordable commercial space within a new real estate development. The discussion will highlight the roles that the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors can play in creating affordable commercial space.
Mon May 12
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Major Moves on the Front Range: Game-Changing Development along Colorado’s Preeminent Urban Corridor
Category
Mixed-Use
While Denver is the focus of the national story of large growth and change in Colorado and the west, major projects are happening all along Colorado's front range—the urban corridor along the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains. This session will spotlight important projects all along this urban stretch, including Colorado Springs, Aurora, Golden, and Denver. The session will show how significant new developments are fitting into their communities and reflecting the unique locations in different cities up and down the range.
Mon May 12
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Profit Meets Purpose: Building the Case for Sustainability in Mixed-Use Development
The PAE Living Building in Portland, Oregon, is the first developer-driven Living Building in the world. Phase 1 of the Bridge District in Washington, D.C., will be the world's largest multifamily building to achieve ILFI's Zero Carbon certification. Both projects prove the viability of developing mixed-use commercial structures that improve their urban and ecological context while delivering financial returns. With each project, the teams tackled seemingly unsolvable problems with practical solutions, building the case for balancing sustainable solutions with for-profit models, laying out a roadmap for others to follow. Key to both approaches is the premise that specifying sustainable and resilient strategies, including lowered embodied and operational carbon, reduced energy use, and improved air quality, daylight, and a biophilic interior, provide not only a better place to live and work, but also may translate into higher leasing rates, increased occupant satisfaction, better retention, and higher residual value. From design to construction to financing, presenters will share strategies that build the case that sustainability aspirations and developer returns do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Tue May 13
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Brain-Healthy, Climate-Positive Cities
A growing body of research indicates that physical space profoundly impacts our brain health. However, the regenerative capacity of our buildings and public places remains largely untapped. The way we think, feel, learn, and behave are influenced by our context. What if every real estate and capital infrastructure investment was intentional about its regenerative potential for equitable public health, economic development potential, dignity for all, and nature? A mindset shift, from "less bad" to positive outcomes, is required, and brain-healthy cities will help us better leverage the stressed and constrained cognitive power of our citizenry. These efforts have been shared in international forums such as the United Nations General Assembly Science Summit and World Economic Forum, as well as local policy and advocacy events such as the Innovate4Cities conference co-hosted by UN-Habit and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy.
Tue May 13
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
The Changing Face of the Platte River: Denver’s New Green Development Corridor
Category
Mixed-Use
The Platte River has been, for many decades, the industrial back-of-house for the Denver with the exception of a few publicly accessible points. Now, the river has become the focal point of some of Denver's most ambitious development projects—all dedicated to improving and honoring the river. The session will spotlight projects from large, private sector–led development to complex, public/private partnerships and major public initiatives that will totally change the face of the Platte River and, as a result, the city itself.
Tue May 13
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Filling the Knowledge Gap: Guiding the U.S. Government on Office-to-Residential Conversions
In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made a significant commitment to accelerate the adoption of innovative practices and policies to increase affordable housing.
As part of this commitment, Gensler was awarded funding to analyze office-to-residential conversion activities across six U.S. cities, test the financial feasibility of these conversions, study policy and incentives, and build an online community guide to allow local policymakers to estimate the impact of potential conversion policies on their community. Now, Gensler is putting together a panel of experts—directly involved with HUD—to discuss the ongoing analysis, share preliminary findings, explore how Gensler and its partners are advising the government on the topic, and debate what must be done to unlock additional affordable housing in the United States.
The session will outline the team's approach to the analysis; highlight the initial findings in one of the six identified cities; present the recommended changes to city, state, and federal policy; and provide an update on how HUD and one of the key cities is going to adopt the policy.
Wed May 14
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
WLI Americas Presents: A View from the Top with Global Chair Diane Hoskins
Category
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Join WLI Americas for a fireside chat with ULI Global Chair and Gensler's Co-CEO, Diane Hoskins, and Emma West, WLI Americas Chair and Partner at Bousfields, Inc. Diane, a global powerhouse in the industry, will discusses early influences in architecture, strategies behind transformational growth, leading with purpose, her deep admiration for women leaning in, and her commitment to positively impacting the world through design.
Wed May 14
2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Sharing the Curb: Impact and Opportunities from Tech-Enabled Curbside Management
Category
Technology
Recent estimates indicate that there are roughly 100 million parking spaces lining the curbs in American cities. These spaces are traditionally allocated based on the immediate needs of adjacent buildings: general parking in front of residential, meters in front of shops, loading zones near supermarkets and warehouses. Today, with increased demand for online delivery, rideshare pickup and drop-off, outdoor dining, and electric vehicle charging stations, curbsides have become increasingly valuable commodities for a broad variety of stakeholders. Recognizing this shift, North American cities such as Boulder, Boston, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis have looked at flexible systems that can quickly respond to the ever-changing needs of the street, even in a single day or hour. These data-centered, tech-enabled, "smart" curbside management approaches have shown the potential to reduce congestion, enhance public safety, and encourage greener modes of travel, all while potentially increasing city revenue. This panel discussion seeks to convene public and private sector thought leaders to envision the future of curbside management.
Thu May 15
9:45 AM — 10:45 AM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
From Crisis to Opportunity: Affordable Housing as a Climate Solution in US and Canada, Through Better P3s
What if the homes we build today could do more than provide shelter? What if they could reduce emissions, promote health and wellness, foster social cohesion, and strengthen the fabric of our communities? As we face the rising cost of housing and the harsh realities of a changing climate, the conversation around housing has shifted. Drawing on real-life examples from across Canada and the U.S., this session brings together leaders in rethinking housing to share stories of communities already taking bold action, where innovative designs, low carbon building materials, renewable energy, smart construction and community co-benefits are creating homes that are sustainable, resilient, and affordable. We'll look at how affordable housing requires collaboration and scalable, repeatable solutions for success at the pace we need, and how public-private partnerships are accelerating action.
Separate ticket required. This session is part of ULI’s Resilience Summit. Purchasing a ticket to ULI’s Resilience Summit provides access to this session and all other ULI Resilience Summit sessions
Thu May 15
1:45 PM — 2:30 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Shoring Up the Future: Policies and Plans Advancing Resilience in the Bay Area and Beyond
As rising sea levels and extreme weather events intensify and become more frequent, coastal communities across the U.S. face increasing pressure to adapt swiftly and turn bold ambitions into tangible action. California—home to some of the nation's most at-risk shorelines and pioneering climate policies—has become a testing ground for resilience strategies that could shape the future of coastal adaptation nationwide. Speakers will share firsthand insights from projects that are rewriting the playbook for how coastal communities adapt – including efforts to protect critical transportation networks, explore innovative nature-based solutions, and unlock new funding mechanisms for resilience. Whether you're a policymaker, planner, or practitioner, this session will provide valuable lessons and replicable strategies for building climate resilience—no matter where your coastline is.
Separate ticket required. This session is part of ULI’s Resilience Summit. Purchasing a ticket to ULI’s Resilience Summit provides access to this session and all other ULI Resilience Summit sessions