These are some can’t-miss programs relating to health at ULI’s upcoming 2018 Fall Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts from October 8-11.

Monday, October 8, 2018

Randall Lewis/Building Healthy Places Interest Forum
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Invitation Only
Convene Boston: 201 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108

The Randall Lewis/Building Healthy Places Interest Forum brings together leaders in health, wellness, and real estate who are passionate about health to learn and network. The forum is organized by the ULI Building Healthy Places Initiative in collaboration with ULI member leaders and features tours, expert presentations, and small and large group discussions. If you are interested in learning more and registering, please email [email protected].

ULI Health Leaders Network Pre-Forum Convening
5:00 PM –7:00 PM, Invitation Only
Convene Boston: 201 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108

The ULI Health Leaders Network empowers real estate and land use professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to improve health outcomes in their professional practice and communities. Health Leaders in the first and second cohorts, along other experts in the health and built environment field, will gather for an informal reception and icebreaker in advance of the formal program kickoff on Tuesday. If you are interested in learning more and registering, please email [email protected].

Tuesday, October 9

ULI Health Leaders Network Introductory Forum
8:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Invitation Only
BCEC, 257A

The ULI Health Leaders Network empowers real estate and land use professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to improve health outcomes in their professional practice and communities. The second cohort of Health Leaders will convene during this introductory forum, designed to build a network and develop leadership skills to empower the group as champions for improving health through the built environment. If you are interested in learning more and registering, please email [email protected].

Open Space Case Lunch
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
BCEC, 205C

Learn about new research from the ULI Building Healthy Places Initiative and the ULI Sustainable Development Council which explores the benefits of real estate sector involvement in creating, maintaining, operating, and programming parks and open space. The report, “The Open Space Case,” is available to meeting attendees in ULI’s publications area.

ULI’s Changing World Speaker Series – The Case for Culture in Building Better Cities
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
BCEC, Ballroom, Level 3

City building is an ancient technique through which dense settlements can reduce costs and increase benefits for people and communities. Throughout time, however, the way we build cities has changed. Currently, much emphasis is placed on the physical form of a city—buildings, roads, public spaces, etc.—as well as technology and communication. An important, though underemployed, role exists for culture in creating and sustaining healthy, thriving cities. Culture can influence how and what we plan, design, and build. Innovators in this field will discuss their experiences and how we can best include culture in our future city building.

Wednesday, October 10

Investor and Developer Insights on the Business Case for Healthier Places
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM
BCEC, 151AB

Demand is growing for buildings and spaces that promote health and wellness. Leading investors and developers will share their experiences and why they have elected to Integrate health and well-being as a key component of their new and existing office and multifamily properties and portfolios.

The Transformation of Boston’s Waterfront
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM
BCEC, 157ABC

A few decades ago, Boston’s harbor was dirty and walled-off by an elevated highway. Gradually, a cleanup of the harbor transformed the city’s relationship to the waterfront. Through intentional and coordinated efforts by local and state authorities, private investors, and developers, Boston leveraged private development and public investment to create continuous public access along the waterfront, acres of open space, and cultural institutions and amenities.

The Big Dig, Ten Years Later: Did It Deliver?
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
BCEC, 157ABC

For years, an elevated, heavily congested highway cut through downtown Boston, separating the Financial District from the adjacent waterfront. In a project that took 16 years to complete, the city reshaped the urban experience and improved the quality of life by submerging the highway and creating a 1.5-mile greenway, with substantial savings in cost and travel time for travelers. This panel will take a deep dive into the impact of the Big Dig as it relates to businesses, the hospitality industry, the arts community, and adjacent neighborhoods.

Creating Value in Public Spaces: Cross-Sector Collaboration
03:00 PM – 4:00 PM
BCEC, 153ABC

Shared public spaces—when they are revitalized, connected, and well managed—have the power to bring about positive social outcomes, including creating more economic value for people and neighborhoods. Across the country, philanthropies, advocates, and civic leaders are working with communities on transformative public-space projects (parks, plazas, trails, libraries) that are generating authentic civic engagement and attracting additional capital. This session will explore best practices in civic engagement and cross-sector collaboration with representatives from The JPB Foundation, Atlanta BeltLine, The John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, and Philadelphia’s Friends of Rail Park.

The Creative Placemaking Dividend: How Art and Culture Enhance the Bottom Line and Promote Healthy, Equitable, Thriving Places
03:00 PM – 4:00 PM
BCEC, 151AB

Increasingly, real estate developers are incorporating creative placemaking strategies into development projects ranging from mixed-use development and adaptive reuse to parks and public spaces. Likewise, communities often embrace art and culture to help connect community members, foster cohesion, and promote the local economy. Governments and nonprofits have employed creative placemaking in solutions addressing social equity, health and wellness, transportation, public safety, environmental resilience, and more. During a lively discussion, panelists will explore the following questions: Does an investment in art and culture yield a return? If it does, what is the return? Is the return purely financial or are there other benefits? And who benefits—developers, investors, the community, the government, or some or all of these?

Agrihoods: A Growing Trend
04:00 PM – 4:30 PM
BCEC, Ballroom Pre-function Space, 3rd Floor

Agrihoods are residential or mixed-use developments built with a working farm or garden as a focus. In master-planned communities, farms are replacing golf courses as a healthier and more sustainable amenity. At this informal session, learn about new ULI research on agrihoods, why they’re a growing trend, and best practices for developing them.

Park Quality
04:00 PM – 4:30 PM
BCEC, Ballroom Pre-function Space, 3rd Floor

ULI is partnering with National Recreation and Parks Association and the Trust for Public Land on the 10-Minute Walk Campaign to promote the bold idea that everyone in urban America deserves to live within ten minutes of a high-quality park. But what defines “high quality”? This pop-up interactive session will elicit member feedback on how to develop, maintain, and operate high-quality parks that help meet the needs of a community.

Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance Reception
06:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Invitation Only
Gather: 75 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210

High quality parks and open spaces are anchors of community life. At this reception, the Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance will celebrate the ULI Urban Open Space Award finalists and winner, as well as the one year anniversary of the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, which is working to ensure that everyone in urban America lives within a 10-Minute Walk to a high-quality park. If you are interested in learning more, please email [email protected].

Thursday, October 11

The Role of Public Space in Catalyzing Revitalization and Reinvestment
10:30 AM -11:30 AM
BCEC, 153ABC

Parks make cities and towns great places to live and work and are essential to the physical, social, environmental, and economic health of people and communities. This session will provide examples of how high-quality parks and open spaces spurred community development and expanded the economy.