City Building for the Future: the Urban Land Institute’s 2018 spring meeting looks at lessons from Detroit

More than 3,000 industry leaders expected at May 1-3 event at Cobo Center

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Innovative city building will be front and center at the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2018 Spring Meeting, set for May 1-3 at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. A major focus for the 2018 gathering will be the reinvention of urban areas into thriving places that are drawing talented workers and businesses and are becoming magnets for investment. The Detroit metropolitan area, which is experiencing an extraordinary renaissance, is a prime example of this urban evolution.

ULI’s Spring Meeting routinely draws nearly 3,000 of ULI’s most engaged members, including renowned industry experts from around the world sharing insights on all aspects of real estate. Lessons learned from transformative development – including examples from Detroit — will be discussed within the context of a wide range of urban issues such as housing affordability, gentrification, social equity, technology advancements, and demographic shifts, all with a focus on the short- and long-term implications for cities.

The meeting’s real estate sessions are known for providing timely and relevant industry analyses, and for offering access to some of the globe’s most influential real estate leaders. Each day of the meeting will offer different highlights:

  • Tuesday, May 1, will feature tours of the metro region’s most innovative developments led by those directly involved with the projects. Tours include: redeveloped manufacturing facilities; Detroit’s dynamic public spaces; The Detroit District; adaptive reuse in downtown and other areas; and Ford Motor Company. Separate tickets are required for the mobile tours.
  • Wednesday, May 2, will feature an update on industry trends, including a real estate and economic forecast through 2020; a capital markets update and a look at the latest in mixed-use development, public space design that promotes resilience; net-zero buildings; and solutions to housing affordability challenges.
  • Thursday, May 3, will include analyses of the growth opportunities resulting from Detroit’s bankruptcy, the resurgence of the manufacturing economy in Michigan, building inclusive neighborhoods, and how cities are increasingly leveraging their locations to gain a competitive edge.

ULI’s Spring Meeting covers all aspects of the industry and all issues affecting the industry. It’s the place to get new story ideas, new perspectives, new information and new sources.


About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.