The ULI Building Healthy Places Initiative is leveraging the power of ULI’s global networks to shape projects and places in ways that improve the health of people and communities.

National Experts Provide Recommendations, Input to ULI’s Demonstration Corridors

This winter, the four “demonstration corridors” involved in ULI’s Healthy Corridors project held national study visits during which experts in transportation, economic development, health, planning, and design recommended a path forward for each corridor to create a healthier environment for residents and visitors. The experts were given a tour of each corridor, interviewed local stakeholders, and reviewed background materials in order to provide guidance on issues such as connectivity, funding opportunities, best practices, and priority areas of focus. Local demonstration corridor teams will be using these recommendations in their planning and the implementation of those plans. Learn more.

Building Healthy Places at the ULI Spring Meeting in Philadelphia

ULI’s 2015 Spring Meeting, to be held April 19–21 in Philadelphia, will feature tours and sessions that highlight healthy places and projects. Featured events include:

Tour: The Resurgence of the Historic Navy Yard

Concurrent Session: Trends in Transportation and Real Estate

Learn about all Building Healthy Places Spring Meeting events.
Register for the Spring Meeting.

Vitus Group Makes Healthy Design a Top Priority

ULI member Stephen Whyte, president of Seattle-based Vitus Group, has outlined the company’s commitment to health and active design. As a developer of affordable housing, Vitus Group is positioned to have a great impact on health disparities at its properties through attention to design and programming by including such elements as active stairwells and on-site exercise and cooking classes. A major renovation of Meadowbrook Apartments (left), which provides 440 units of affordable housing to families in San Diego, include new playgrounds, landscaping, and a community garden.  Learn more.

What’s New from Urban Land

• Dense, More Compact Cities Help Combat Climate Change, Inequality—Mike Phillips
• Blending Farmers’ Harvests with Retail, Multifamily Developments—Bendix Anderson
• HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition Highlights Connection between Urban Development and Community Resilience—Trisha Riggs
• Bringing an Open-Air Venue and Park to a Former Landfill in the Music City—Bill Lewis
• Developing along Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River Trail—Judy Weightman

From Our Network: Executive Education Course on Building for Health

Harvard University and the U.S. Green Building Council have joined forces to deliver “Building for Health: Research and Applications to Drive Decisions for the Built Environment,” an executive education course that convenes thought leaders and focuses on turning cutting-edge health research into innovative best practices in the built environment. Learn more.