WASHINGTON (May 23, 2022) – Development success and racial equity are increasingly linked, according to a recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) report. The report offers 10 guiding ideas to help real estate practitioners—across geographies, sectors, and backgrounds—implement strategies and make business decisions that promote racial equity. The report is a response to a growing desire within the industry for tools and resources to actively and intentionally work toward a more equitable future.

The report, 10 Principles for Embedding Racial Equity in Real Estate Development, distills insights from industry leaders and includes applications, case studies, and best practices. The 10 principles emerged from a November 2021 workshop convened by ULI’s Building Healthy Places Initiative and chaired by ULI Trustee AJ Jackson. Workshop participants included over 35 ULI members and other industry experts who actively work on issues of racial equity.

“ULI’s mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide; this publication provides the tools to lead that transformation in ways that deliver more equitable outcomes, improving both social and financial returns,” said AJ Jackson, Executive Vice President, Social Impact Investing at JBG SMITH and chair of the 10 Principles workshop. “The 10 principles are an actionable guide designed to help real estate professionals make racial equity central to their business practices and deliver real benefits for individuals, communities, and investors.”

The principles reflect the need for comprehensive change within the industry, as well as the personal and professional nature of the work needed to meaningfully shape the built environment and improve people’s lives.

1. Embed racial equity across all aspects of your real estate development practice.
2. Commit to building your knowledge and optimizing your personal and institutional power.
3. Articulate the racial equity business case.
4. Use data to ensure equitable processes and outcomes.
5. Leverage capital to drive equitable change.
6. Understand and address current and historical context.
7. Recognize the power of language.
8. Create a community-centered development process.
9. Build trust, transparency, and credibility.
10. Form strong, intersectoral partnerships.

“ULI is grateful to the members and partners who helped develop this framework and are continuing to ensure the industry makes progress on these critical issues,” said Gwyneth Coté, ULI Americas President. “This report provides actionable best practices for prioritizing racial equity throughout the development lifecycle. The industry can leverage this framework to enhance value and build healthy, thriving, equitable communities. The principles are an important start, but we also recognize that change requires a sustained, long-term commitment to this work.”

The full 10 Principles for Embedding Racial Equity in Real Estate Development report is available on ULI’s Knowledge Finder platform.

For more information, email [email protected].

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About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 45,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information on ULI, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.