Are you attending ULI’s 2024 Spring Meeting in New York? Check out the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability’s “Not So Secret Guide” – your ultimate resource for all sustainability-focused events happening during the Meeting.
The guide provides you with a curated list of events focused on health and wellness, parks and open space, social justice, climate mitigation and adaptation, building performance, and resilience. With brief descriptions, dates, and times (All in Eastern Time), you can easily plan your schedule and make the most out of your time at the meeting. Get ready to take your sustainability game to the next level and engage in discussions about the direction of the real estate industry with the people who shape it!
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 website. 

Events and convenings are subject to slight revision. 

MONDAY APRIL 8TH 

Lewis Center Sustainability Forum
Type: Open to Full Members attending the Spring Meeting; Associate Members interested in attending can reach out to [email protected];  Separate Registration Required  
Time: 11:00 AM — 5:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME
Location: PIER 57, 25 11TH AVE, NEW YORK, NY 
Description: The Lewis Center Sustainability Forum continues the spirit of the Randall Lewis/ULI Building Healthy Places Forum and will bring together ULI members to explore the transformation of Pier 57 into a vibrant mixed-use space, featuring a public park, community and educational facilities, and Market 57—a new dining destination celebrating NYC’s local food culture, alongside discussions on equitable electrification. Registration is open to Fall Meeting attendees on the Spring Meeting website; to inquire about attendance please email [email protected].  

ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate Reception
Type: By Invitation Only Networking  
Time: 6:00 PM — 8:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: Location provided in invitation
Description: Friends of the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate are invited to an evening of networking with drinks and light bites. This event is by invitation only; if you’d like to receive an invitation, please email [email protected]  

TUESDAY APRIL 9TH 

Tenant Alignment Roundtable: Fitting Out Spaces for Net Zero
Type: Special Program Separate Registration Required 
Time: 8:00 AM — 11:00 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN – LEVEL 3, MERCURY BALLROOM
Description: Building on the success of previous programming, this event will provide an opportunity for building owners/developers and tenants/end-users to share and exchange ideas on net zero strategies and progress. This event will feature findings from the latest in the “Owner/Tenant Engagement Best Practices for Sustainability” series of reports focused on Tenant Fit-Outs and will focus on lifting up action-oriented and practical insights.  This event is open to all Spring Meeting registrants, but advanced registration is required and space is limited. Please add this event to your meeting registration in order to attend. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. 

A Post-Industrial Waterfront Reimagined *
Type: Separate Ticket Required Tours  
Time: 9:00 AM — 12:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: offsite
Description: The waterfront in the long-established Greenpoint neighborhood has been a functioning lumberyard and industrial center for over 100 years. In the past 20 years, it has been transformed into an extension of the Greenpoint neighborhood. Park Tower Group is developing the master plan for Greenpoint Landing which, when complete, will include about 5,500 apartments (both market-rate and permanently affordable units), a sprawling waterfront park designed by James Corner Field Operations, and numerous local retail opportunities. 
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

Unlocking Billions in Federal Funding for Your Projects: Generational Investments in Sustainable Development
Type: Open to All Attendees Special Program  
Time: 10:00 AM — 10:20 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: Current and upcoming federal infrastructure funding opportunities—including through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act—have the potential to spur resilient, sustainable, and equitable outcomes for cities and buildings. Learn how and when to leverage these generational funding opportunities to support your projects.  

Thriving together: Collaborations in coastal resilience infrastructure*
Type: Special Program
Time: 10:30 AM – 10:50 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description:  Coastal cities are critical economic engines of real estate, and yet, these same locals face high exposure to coastal risks. For storms to rising seas, billions of dollars of real estate are at risk. As sea levels continue to rise, real estate must partner in new ways to protect assets and communities. Join this session to explore innovative strategies and processes for advancing coastal resilience.

*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

Making Multigenerational Communities Happen
Type: Member Engagement
Time: 10:30 AM – 10:50 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN MEA 03
Description: Nearly one in five U.S. households was multigenerational in 2021—and demand for housing and communities that facilitate multigenerational living is growing. ULI explores these trends in a new publication, Making Multigenerational Communities Happen. In this session, hear what developers, designers, public sector leaders, investors, and others need to know about what it will take to build homes, neighborhoods, and cities that work for people of all ages, and families of all types.

District Council Sustainability Leaders Gathering
Type: Open to All Attendees Special Program  
Time: 12:00 PM — 1:00 PM (GMT-05:00)  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN, CONCOURSE C
Description: Join the Lewis Center and other District and National Council leaders to learn about opportunities to advance ULI’s mission and priorities with impactful programming at the local level. A simple lunch will be served. This program is open to all current and potential District and National Council sustainability leaders; advanced registration is requested. Please reach out to [email protected] to learn more.  

NYC 2100: Resiliency, Housing, and Equity for the Metropolitan Region with Six Feet of Sea-Level Rise *
Type: Concurrent Session Open to All Attendees  
Time: 2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: The New York metropolitan area has 20 million residents and within the next century could see six feet of sea-level rise due to climate change. This panel focuses on analysis, policy response, and insight into the various challenges and opportunities for evolving the metropolitan area for future housing demand.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

From Finger-Pointing to Handshakes: Reducing Embodied Carbon in Real Estate Developments
Type: Concurrent Session Open to All Attendees  
Time: 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: This session will provide perspectives from a general contractor, a structural engineer, and a developer who have successfully reduced embodied carbon in new developments. Panelists will walk the audience through embodied carbon reductions from predesign through development, building occupancy, and deconstruction, all of which encompass a vital part of the industry’s journey to net zero.  

WEDNESDAY APRIL 10TH 

Greenprint Members-Only Breakfast
Type: Greenprint Members-only, Special Program  
Time: 8:00 AM — 10:00 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: location provided in invitation
Description: ULI Greenprint real estate members are invited to join an off-site breakfast meetup to network and connect with fellow ESG leaders during the conference. Location to be shared in a separate invitation.   

The New Long Island City *
Type: Mission Priority; Separate Ticket Required; Tours  
Time: 8:15 AM — 1:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: This project seeks to leverage city-owned sites for affordable housing, promote equitable economic development, add waterfront open space, and improve circulation around the neighborhood. This tour will begin at Hunter’s Point South Park, move north along the LIC waterfront to Anable Basin, and conclude at the IBZ.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center   

Navigating Net Zero: Jump-Starting Your SEC Journey to Enhance Value Workshop
Type: Special Program  
Time: 8:30 am – 11:30 am (with networking breakfast from 8:00 am) (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: ULI Spring Meeting, New York, New York
Description: Join ULI Learning and JLL for a 3-hour session to learn more about how the new SEC climate disclosure rule impacts real estate asset developers, owners, and managers.

The Carbon Sweet Spot: Tradeoffs between Embodied Carbon and Operating Carbon
Type: Open to All Attendees Special Program  
Time: 10:00 AM — 10:20 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: Designing buildings to operate on less energy and carbon is essential to net zero goals, but some design choices—particularly in facades—can increase a building’s upfront embodied carbon. This session explores the design decisions and tradeoffs real estate professionals should know to create buildings that are low carbon from construction to end of life, based on research from ULI Greenprint, architecture firm KPF, and the University of Washington’s Integrated Design Lab.    

ULI Gives Back – NYC Community Volunteer Event
Type: Open to All Attendees Special Program, Must Register in Advance  
Time: 10:00 AM — 11:30 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location:  Location Provided upon Registration
Description: Join us and Paramount Group to give back to the New York City community with service. Volunteering your time will help those with housing insecurity through the Bowery Mission, all while making new connections with other ULI members. 
To register for this event, click here to register for the Spring Meeting, or to access your existing Spring registration and add “ULI Gives Back – NYC Community Volunteer Event”. This registration fee will go towards supplies for those experience homelessness. 

Art in Place: Connecting Creatives and Real Estate
Type: Open to All Attendees; Special Program  
Time: 11:00 AM — 11:20 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: Research shows that integrating art into real estate has a significant positive return on investment. In addition to adding value to properties, art creates unique, memorable experiences for tenants, visitors, and communities. A global cohort of ULI National and district councils is working to better connect the arts and real estate to drive more inclusive and participatory real estate outcomes. In this session, leading voices share inspiring case studies, strategies, and insights for leveraging culture and creativity to advance social trust, community connection, and development success. 

NYC Mass Timber Studio: Advancing Sustainable Development*
Type: Open to All Attendees; Special Program  
Time:11:30 AM — 11:50 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN – LEVEL 3, AMERICAS HALL I – AREA B
Description: Mass timber construction has emerged as a revolutionary force for constructing eco-friendly, resilient, and aesthetically captivating buildings. As part of the City’s decarbonization efforts, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) launched the NYC Mass Timber Studio, a technical assistance program to support mass timber development projects in the early phases of project planning and design. Expanding the use of mass timber is a critical component to achieving the City’s carbon reduction targets. Hear from leaders at NYCEDC about how this program is helping to advance innovative applications of mass timber across a variety of product types.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

Reducing Real Estate’s Carbon Footprint and the Path to Net Zero: The Costs of Meeting the Moment and the Consequences of Neglect *
Type: Concurrent Session; Open to All Attendees  
Time: 2:30 PM — 3:30 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: Building owners, investors and tenants grapple with the costs of reducing carbon footprints while cities set aggressive goals towards achieving net zero. Meanwhile, the capital markets must determine how to finance these “green” initiatives and quantify the value and risk associated with transitioning to net zero. Join us as we explore the real costs of going to net zero, who bears the burden and the financial drivers behind this push.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

Decoding Racial Equity: Understanding Key Terms and How They Apply to Your Real Estate Practice
Type: Concurrent Session Open to All Attendees  
Time: 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN LEVEL 2, NASSAU SUITE
Description: In this session, learn more about the new resource and hear how real estate leaders are building their understanding of and advancing action on core concepts including antiracism, equitable development, inclusion, and more.  

ULI Net Zero Imperative Cohort Happy Hour Meetup
Type: By Invitation Only Networking  
Time: 5:00 PM — 7:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: Location provided in Invitation 
Description: ULI Net Zero Imperative (NZI) participants from past and current cohorts are invited to join an off-site happy hour meetup to network and connect with fellow decarbonization leaders during the conference. Location to be shared in a separate invitation.  

THURSDAY APRIL 11TH 

Transforming Coney Island: Sustainable and Resilient Playground *
Type: Mission Priority; Separate Ticket Required; Tours  
Time: 8:00 AM — 1:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description:  Coney Island, America’s most storied amusement resort, is experiencing an enormous effort to renew and reinvigorate its vibrant and diverse beachfront community following major rezoning with a massive expansion in mixed-income housing developments for the community and renewed interest in Coney Island as an entertainment destination. In our tour we will visit a selection of these new residential projects along Surf Avenue, as well as the newly revived entertainment sites of Coney Island.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

From Superfund to Super-Fun: The Emerging Gowanus Neighborhood *
Type: Housing – Multifamily Mixed Use and Multi-Use Resilience  
Time: 8:00 AM — 1:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: This walking tour will include several mixed-use, mixed-income multifamily projects in various stages of completion; a world-class anchor arts facility; an exemplar piece of green infrastructure; and the emerging public realm that ties it all together. The tour will be enriched with informal presentations by the planners, policymakers, developers, and designers who are making it all happen.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project *
Type: Resilience  
Time: 8:00 AM — 1:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: The East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project is a coastal protection initiative jointly funded by the city of New York and the federal government, aimed at reducing flood risk from coastal storms and sea-level rise on Manhattan’s East Side from East 25th Street to Montgomery Street. ESCR is a one-of-a-kind, forward-thinking resilience project being constructed in a dense urban environment with complex below- and above-ground infrastructure. The 2.4-mile flood protection project is intended to build physical, social, and economic resilience, strengthening the city’s coastline while improving waterfront open space and accessibility.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

Hudson Square: Ushering in the Future of Sustainable and Contextual Design *
Type: Mission Priority; Separate Ticket Required; Tours  
Time: 8:15 AM — 12:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location:  offsite
Description: Join us for a special tour of one of New York City’s most dynamic neighborhoods, Hudson Square. The district, at the nexus of NYC’s premier retail and residential neighborhoods, is rich in history but is also leading the way in terms of sustainable design and thoughtful and contextual architecture that is appealing to some of the world’s largest and most innovative office tenants, including Google, Horizon Media, Publicis Groupe and Squarespace. 
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

Building an Equitable Greenway System: Lessons from the NYC’s Greenways Coalition
Type: Open to All Attendees; Special Program  
Time: 11:00 AM — 11:20 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: The NYC Greenways Coalition is a collective of more than 45 greenway-aligned groups focused on advocating for planning and implementation of a 400-mile citywide greenway network. Join this short session to learn how the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI), which created and convenes the coalition, is establishing and building alignment around an equity-focused vision to advance greenway access throughout New York City’s boroughs. 

Pumping Up Sustainability: Embracing Heat Pumps in Commercial Real Estate
Type: Open to All Attendees; Special Program  
Time: 11:30 AM — 11:50 AM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: Heat pump technology is becoming an increasingly scalable solution toward fully electrifying commercial real estate. In addition to their environmental benefits, heat pumps offer enhanced occupant comfort and tenant energy bill savings. This session touches on heat pump technology and debunks common myths, such as heat pumps can only heat spaces (they can cool them, too!), heat pumps are not cost effective (they are comparable options to what is available on the market!), heat pumps are not viable in cold climates (they perform well in all climates!), and more.  

The Tesla of Commercial Real Estate: How Mass Timber Is Changing the Way We Design and Build *
Type: Concurrent Session Open to All Attendees  
Time: 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NEW YORK HILTON MIDTOWN
Description: In recent decades, no building material has inspired awe, passion, and innovation like mass timber. This session serves as a “state of the union” for mass timber: how far it has come, its massive future potential, and the biggest challenges (and solutions) for its progress.
*event not supported directly by the Lewis Center 

FRIDAY APRIL 12TH 

ULI Resilience Summit
Type: Special Program; Separate Registration Required  
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (GMT-05:00) EASTERN TIME  
Location: NYU Kimmel Center
Description: The ULI Urban Resilience Program will host its 5th annual Resilience Summit at the NYU Kimmel Center in New York City on April 12, 2024. The Resilience Summit is ULI’s flagship climate adaptation event, convening industry leaders in real estate and resilience from around the world to address the challenges and harness the opportunities posed by climate risks. As the world rallies to address the challenges of climate change, the Resilience Summit offers a platform for gaining valuable knowledge, creating meaningful connections, and catalyzing innovative solutions.