WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 29, 2021) – A new, more equitable approach to regional planning and investment is critical to enabling economic growth and opportunity, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI is a global member-driven organization that comprises more than 45,000 real estate and urban development professionals, and its latest report summarizes the views of leading national experts and practitioners that were brought together for the 2021 Shaw Symposium on Urban Community Issues.

The summary report, Equitable Investment in Infrastructure and Housing, has been co-published by the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing and ULI Curtis Infrastructure Initiative, and includes ten key takeaways for tackling some of the most critical housing and infrastructure challenges facing the United States. One of the most worrying trends highlighted is an investment gap of $3.8 trillion for much-needed infrastructure, and the report establishes a framework to assist local communities in designing and implementing future investments in an equitable way. The goals of the framework are to:

• Enable equitable access to transportation.
• Improve access to and affordability of housing for moderate- and lower-income households.
• Reconnect and reinvigorate neighborhoods damaged by past infrastructure investments.
• Address historical disparities in community investment, particularly those based on race, and ensure equitable access to the economic opportunities and the benefits of development.
• Improve health, enhance environmental sustainability, and reduce climate risks.

“As the US begins to emerge from a tumultuous year and Congress debates an infrastructure package, it is important to look to the future informed by the knowledge of the past,” said Craig Lewis, chair of the ULI Curtis Infrastructure Initiative and principal, CallisonRTKL–US, who chaired the 2021 Shaw Symposium. “Many of the challenges facing today’s cities and neighborhoods are linked to the decisions made decades ago. These decisions include positive, transformational investments in transit, parks, and other community assets that have been critical to restoring urban vibrance. However, they also include the disastrous legacy of redlining, segregation, and the intentional dismantling of neighborhoods that have produced generational harm for minority households, and Black families particularly.”

“If the US is to compete in a rapidly changing global economy, we must build our cities, towns, suburbs, and regions in a manner that enables and empowers all people to meet their full aspirations and potential. We hope that this report will help inform the housing- and infrastructure-related conversations that are to come at the federal, state, regional, and local levels.”

The annual Shaw Symposiums – named after renowned real estate entrepreneur, the late Charles H. Shaw – help leverage knowledge, experience and expertise from leading practitioners of urban development and public leadership. This year’s virtual event featured a series of presentations, open discussions, and breakout conversations. The ten key takeaways from the summary report include:

• Prior models of planning, financing, building, and maintaining the core components of our communities had fundamental flaws;
• There is a need for repair in our built environment, focusing both on the physical elements as well as restorative equity;
• The status quo model of housing and infrastructure investment must evolve to meet new challenges;
• The concept of infrastructure is evolving and full spectrum housing opportunities are a necessary component of a modern infrastructure strategy;
• The different elements of the built environment should be viewed as interconnected systems;
• Adaptation and resilience are critical components of future systems;
• The future of many regions and communities strongly resembles our cities of the past;
• Suburban areas can and should become more equitable and sustainable;
• The scale of the intervention needs to meet the scale of the challenge; and
• The time for action is now.

“The deferred investments that are necessary to address housing, infrastructure, climate, and social and racial equity goals will only become harder and more costly to address if there are further delays,” said Michael A. Spotts, author of the report and a visiting research fellow with the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing. “It is incumbent upon all stakeholders that are working to plan and build our communities to seize this historic opportunity and address the challenges of our time.”

Informed by the findings and takeaways from the Shaw Symposium and associated research, the seminal ULI report will help inform future investment strategies across all levels of government. A seven-point framework has been proposed for evaluating and planning critical investments in housing and infrastructure, including:

• First do no harm.
• Avoid burden shifting.
• Advance equity goals.
• Involve community and institutional stakeholders.
• Align finance mechanism.
• Invest in resilience.
• Measure and evaluate.

To download the full report on Equitable Investment in Infrastructure and Housing, visit ULI Knowledge Finder.

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Notes to Editors

About the Urban Land Institute

• The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit 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.

About the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing

• The Terwilliger Center for Housing seeks to advance best practices in residential development and public policy, and to support ULI members and local communities in creating and sustaining a full spectrum of housing opportunities, particularly for lower- and moderate-income households.
• Established in 2007 with a gift from longtime member and former ULI chairman J. Ronald Terwilliger, the Center integrates ULI’s wide-ranging housing activities into a program of work with three objectives: to catalyze the production of housing, provide thought leadership on the housing industry, and inspire a broader commitment to housing. For more information, please visit our site.

About the ULI Curtis Infrastructure Initiative

• Established in 2020, the Curtis Infrastructure Initiative is named after the late James (Jim) J. Curtis III, who was a former ULI Foundation Chairman as well as managing partner at Bristol Group, a San Francisco–based real estate investment and development firm, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 65.
• The ULI Curtis Infrastructure Initiative aims to build a movement to promote infrastructure solutions that are equitable and resilient and that enhance long-term community value. It creates new global and strategic partnerships, provides technical assistance, builds capacity at the local level, and acts as a feedback loop to promote the most innovative and effective best practices.