2022 ULI Spring Meeting in San Diego, CA and online will provide attendees opportunities to engage in candid discussions about the direction of the real estate industry with the people who will shape it. To prepare for it, the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability provides a guide to all sustainability-focused events happening that week. See below for brief descriptions with dates and times (all in PT) of the events hosted, supported, or encouraged by the Center during the 2022 ULI Spring Meeting. Look here for activities focused on health and wellness, parks and open space, social justice, climate mitigation and adaptation, building performance, and resilience.

For more the most detailed and up-to-date information about these events and the rest of the Spring Meeting, please visit the official Spring Meeting schedule.

Events and convenings are subject to slight revision.

Monday, April 18

Randall Lewis/ULI Building Healthy Places Forum (Part 1) | 3:00 – 8:00pm | Registration open to ULI Full Members, interested ULI Associate Members may email [email protected] | Building Healthy Places Special Programming

Taking place across two half-days (the afternoon of April 18 and the morning of April 19, 2022), the fourteenth Building Healthy Places Forum will highlight the people, projects, and initiatives advancing health equity in under-resourced communities, with a focus on Southeast San Diego. Registration is open to ULI Full Members, Associate Members interested in participating may email [email protected].

Tuesday, April 19

Randall Lewis/ULI Building Healthy Places Forum (Part 2) | 8:00 – 12:30pm | Registration open to ULI Full Members, interested ULI Associate Members may email [email protected] | Building Healthy Places Special Programming

Taking place across two half-days (the afternoon of April 18 and the morning of April 19, 2022), the fourteenth Building Healthy Places Forum will highlight the people, projects, and initiatives advancing health equity in under-resourced communities, with a focus on Southeast San Diego. Registration is open to ULI Full Members, Associate Members interested in participating may email [email protected].

Commitment to Action: How Developers Can Help Achieve Citywide Sustainability Goals | 2:30 – 3:30pm | Open to All Attendees | Concurrent Session

This session will highlight the work being done in commercial development to help reach the city of Los Angeles’s 2030 net-zero-carbon goal for all new buildings and their 2050 goal that 100 percent of buildings to be net zero carbon. L.A. city leaders, Skanska USA Commercial Development, and design partners will discuss what is needed for this essential evolution in the built environment using Skanska USA Commercial Development projects under construction and in design as examples.

Crowdfunding Equitable Development: Cutting Deals for Good | 2:30 – 3:30pm | Open to All Attendees | Concurrent Session

New funding models—including crowdfunding platforms and emerging neighborhood wealth-building investment vehicles—are creating innovative ways of funding equitable and sustainable development projects. Enhancing community and household wealth, increasing economic mobility, and diversifying capital sources are some of the goals of these new forms of collective ownership. This session will explore the dynamic landscape for crowdfunding and shared-ownership landscape, and real estate and provide insights on the limitations and benefits for investors, developers, and communities.

Future-Proofing Asset Value: The Pathway to Net Zero | 4:00 – 5:00pm | Open to All Attendees | Concurrent Session

To future-proof the value of assets across their portfolios, owners and investors are considering the economic, financial, and transition risks associated with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Through activities such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, electrification, and tenant engagement, firms are reducing carbon and building value. Real estate leaders who have incorporated decarbonization into their business model will discuss ways they are using a pathway to net zero to drive value across their portfolios today and in the long term.

Redefining Excellence in Real Estate with Equity at the Core | 4:00 – 5:00pm | Open to All Attendees | Concurrent Session

Wednesday, April 20

ULI Coastal Forum | 8:00am – 12:30pm | Sign Up via the Forums page through Spring Meeting Registration | Special Programming

ULI’s Coastal Forum will tackle the complex challenges of financing and investing in physical infrastructure for resilience in coastal communities. Join fellow stakeholders for a panel discussion with experts representing the scientific, public agency, private investment, and development facets of real estate and resilience. Following the panel, embark on a boat tour with fellow attendees and panelists to continue the conversation and learn more about local coastal resilience initiatives while enjoying the scenery of San Diego Bay. Click here to learn more about ULI’s Coastal Forum.

Small Scale Net Zero Development – It can be done! | 10:00 – 10:30am | Open to All Attendees | Greenprint Micro-Session in the Member Engagement Area

Working toward Net Zero outcomes in real estate is often thought to be impossible for smaller developers and owners, with higher upfront costs and new technology to navigate. However, it’s already being done: this session will feature two firms that successfully develop small scale net zero projects that are cost effective and innovatively integrate green building practices. Entegrity Energy Partners and MultiGreen will each speak to projects that showcase the feasibility and opportunity of developing net zero.

“Ask Me Anything” on Harnessing Real Estate Development for Racial Equity | 10:30 – 11:00am | Open to All Attendees | Building Healthy Places Micro-Session in the Member Engagement Area

In this session, audience members can ask questions about harnessing development for racial equity and hear from Taidgh McClory, an experienced real estate professional dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion across the commercial real estate industry. Gain insights into making racial equity central to your real estate practice, overcoming barriers to equitable development projects, and more. This session will also demonstrate how you can use ULI’s recently released Social Equity Resource Hub and will highlight a new ULI report titled 10 Principles for Embedding Racial Equity in Real Estate Development.

The Role Third Places Play in Shaping Our Everyday | 11:00 – 11:30am | Open to All Attendees | Building Healthy Places Micro-Session in the Member Engagement Area

“Third places” – places like stores and restaurants, where people enjoy spending time being in community, outside of home and work, are essential to creating healthy and vibrant communities. In this session speakers will share inspiring examples of third places from around the country that are enhancing cultural and political equity, strengthening urban resilience, and building social cohesion. Learn how privately owned third places can meet their potential to shape and improve individual human and community health and well-being.

Greenprint Real Estate Members-Only Brunch Meetup | 11:00am – 12:30pm | Invitation Only | Greenprint Special Programming

Greenprint Real Estate Members are invited to join an off-site brunch meetup to network and connect with fellow ESG leaders during the conference. Location to be shared in separate invitation.

ULI Centers & Initiatives Open House | 11:30am – 12:30pm | Open to All Attendees | Centers & Initiatives Special Programming

Join the Centers & Initiatives (C&I) Open House to learn about ULI’s ongoing research and offerings focused on housing, infrastructure, real estate economics, sustainability, resiliency, building performance, and health & social equity while enjoying light refreshments. You will also have the opportunity to connect with ULI C&I staff, provide input on programs, learn about upcoming research, and find ways to get involved.  

Advancing Climate Resilience and Equity through Community Development and Infrastructure | 4:00 – 5:00pm | Open to All Attendees | Concurrent Session

This session will highlight how federal sources of community development financing can be used to address sustainability and resilience concerns through infrastructure investments. The moderator will provide context of the climate change and equity issues faced by local governments and present hypothetical situations, where panelists will illustrate how their agencies’ respective financing could work.

Urban Parks as the Anchor for Equitable Downtown Economic Development: Case Study from San Jose | 4:00 – 5:00pm | Open to All Attendees | Concurrent Session