For more information, contact: Robert Krueger at 202-624-7051

WASHINGTON (April 8, 2014) – The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has announced joint recipients of the 2014 ULI Apgar Urban Land Award,  which recognizes industry articles of practical value published in Urban Land magazine, ULI’s flagship publication. The winners are being recognized this week at ULI’s Spring Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.

This year’s winning authors are Rives Taylor, a principal at Gensler, whose article,“Minimizing Risk in an Era of Resilience” appeared in the January/February 2013 issue; and D. Jamie Rusin, principal; Sean Slater, director of retail and mixed use; and Ryan Call, senior associate at ELS Architecture and Urban Design, who co-wrote “New Suburbanism: Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs” for the May/June 2013 issue.

The award, which is based on articles published during the previous calendar year, recognizes the authors of Urban Land articles that best advance the mission and priorities of the institute. Presented annually from 1991 to 2006, the award was reintroduced in 2012 with intent of encouraging entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals to communicate their ideas, knowledge, research and experience for the benefit of the entire real estate community.

“This year’s ULI Apgar Urban Land Award winners tackled two key issues which are topical to ULI’s mission – resilience and suburban infill development,” said ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Both articles combined interesting insights with practical advice to provide readers with not only an interesting read, but also with ideas they could implement in their own organization.”

Taylor’s piece, “Minimizing Risk in an Era of Resilience,” highlights the impact of natural disasters on the built environment and provides practical advice for real estate investors and developers on how they can mitigate risk. The article is divided into what property owners need to consider depending upon whether they are reviewing an existing asset, acquiring a new property, or assessing a development opportunity. The article also examines larger investments such as master-planned developments.

The winning article from the ELS Architecture and Urban Design team focused on the opportunities and challenges for infill mixed-use development in inner-ring suburbs across the U.S. “New Suburbanism: Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs” uses examples of best practices from across the U.S. to examine a wide range of issues, including mixed-use design challenges, creating an authentic environment, and new approaches to incorporating cars and parking into pedestrian-friendly design.

The ULI Apgar Urban Land Award was created by long-time ULI member and current ULI Governor, Mahlon “Sandy” Apgar, in order to highlight and recognize the quality of writing in Urban Land magazine. A $500 honorarium is presented to the winning authors, articles are judged on the criteria of relevance to current land use and development issues; strength of the authors’ analyses; perceptiveness of the authors’ reasoning; clarity of presentation; and overall contribution to the advancement of ULI’s mission and current priorities.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (uli.org) 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 32,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

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