The ULI Apgar Urban Land Award was started in the 1990s by longtime ULI member and governor Mahlon Apgar IV in order to highlight and recognize the quality of writing in Urban Land magazine. Presented from 1991 to 2006 and 2012 to 2017, the award encouraged entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals to communicate their ideas, knowledge, research, and experience for the benefit of the entire real estate community. Winners received a $500 honorarium for the winning articles, judged on the criteria of relevance to current land use and development issues; strength of the authors’ analysis; perceptiveness of the authors’ reasoning; clarity of presentation; and overall contribution to the advancement of ULI’s mission and priorities.

ULI ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2017 APGAR URBAN LAND AWARDS

ULI has selected Kevin Brass as the recipient of the 2017 ULI Apgar Urban Land award, which recognizes industry articles of practical value published in Urban Land magazine, ULI’s flagship publication. Brass was honored today at the ULI Spring Meeting in Seattle.

Kevin Brass (center) accepts the 2017 ULI Apgar Urban Land award at the Spring Meeting in Seattle, along with Anne and Sandy Apgar, a ULI Foundation Governor and the award’s sponsor.

“Before it Runs Off” focuses on innovative techniques being used to capture and retain rainwater and graywater, and create a community amenity in the process. “Drawing People In” looks at how to gain community support for higher-density development through an inclusive process to ensure community residents are fully informed, and by emphasizing thoughtful design and creative placemaking. “Rerouting the Trinity River” describes Fort Worth’s bold plans to redirect the river that runs through the city to increase the amount of land in the city’s downtown, connect people with the waterfront, and improve flood control. In each case, the award jury cited timeliness, relevance and writing quality as factors that made Brass’s articles stand out.

In addition to his work for Urban Land, Brass writes regularly about building, design and business for the New York Times, Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. In recent years, he’s been primarily based overseas, including stints in Barcelona and Abu Dhabi, where he covered Middle East development as a business reporter for the UAE-based The National. He also served as public affairs manager for the non-profit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an international association for designers and builders of skyscrapers.

Brass received the Apgar Award during ULI’s Spring Meeting in Seattle this week. “Kevin’s work exemplifies what makes Urban Land a ‘must-read’ publication for our members,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips, who announced the award winner to meeting attendees. “He adeptly tackled three different but equally complex issues of high interest to real estate professionals – managing stormwater, selling density, and recreating a city’s waterfront. We congratulate him on a job well done.”

ULI ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2016 APGAR URBAN LAND AWARDS

ULI has selected Patrick J. Kiger as the recipient of the 2016 ULI Apgar Urban Land Award, which recognizes industry articles of practical value published in Urban Land magazine, the Institute’s flagship publication. Kiger was honored at the 2016 ULI Spring Meeting in Philadelphia.

Author Patrick J. Kiger and the magazine’s Editor in Chief Elizabeth Razzi in Philadelphia.

Kiger was selected for his article, “Imagining the Driverless City,” which was published in the September/October 2015 issue of the magazine. The article highlights robotic vehicles, drones, and other cutting-edge technological advances that have the potential to reshape urban land use. Kiger investigates this phenomenon and gets the perspectives of industry leaders on how these advances could boost walkable urbanism, reduce the need for parking structures, cause architects to reimagine building design, and, in general, have as significant an impact on the real estate industry in the 21st century as the automobile did in the 20th century.

Kiger, a regular contributor to Urban Land, is a Takoma Park, Maryland–based writer who blogs for the Science Channel, the Washington Educational Television Association (WETA), and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). He has also served as a researcher for the Center for Public Integrity, a senior writer for Baltimore magazine, and a reporter for both the Orange County Register and the Pittsburgh Press (now Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Kiger received the Apgar Award during ULI’s Spring Meeting in Philadelphia. “This article exemplifies what makes Urban Land a ‘must-read’ publication for our members,” said ULI Global Chairman Randall K. Rowe, who announced the award winner to meeting attendees. “Patrick adeptly tackled a complex issue of great importance to real estate professionals worldwide—the intersection of technology and urban development. We congratulate him on a job well done.”

ULI 2015 Apgar Urban Land Awards

The Urban Land Institute announced joint recipients of the 2015 ULI Apgar Urban Land Award at ULI’s Spring Meeting in Houston, Texas.

Sandy Apgar (right) presents the 2015 Apgar Urban Land Award to Harvard University professor Richard Peiser at the 2015 Spring Meeting in Houston, Texas.

This year’s winning article was written by Dan Malone and Richard Peiser. Malone is an architect, real estate professional, and 2014 graduate of the master in design studies program in real estate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Peiser is the Michael D. Spear Professor of Real Estate Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Their article entitled, “The Making of Miami Beach’s Mixed-Use Garage,” was published in the September 2014 issue of the magazine.

This cowrote article highlights the 1111 Lincoln Road project in Miami Beach, Florida, a project that illustrates a visionary approach to urban redevelopment and while providing a gateway to the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall conceived by Morris Lapidus, the influential 1950s Miami Beach architect. This article about the popular mixed-use garage goes above and beyond the numerous news stories written about the structure’s uses by instead providing a detailed look at its development process and Robert Wennett, the visionary developer behind the project.

“The Apgar Urban Land Award winning article tells the story of a redevelopment that really pushes the envelope in terms of creativity and innovation,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “This article provides readers with a behind-the-scenes look at how sustainable design and mixed-use can benefit both the developer and the local community – all central to ULI’s mission.”

ULI also recognized two finalist articles. The May/June 2014 issue article, “Producing Affordable Multifamily Housing: Paths to a Painless Solution,” written Mike Curzan and Marta Lopez along with William Macht’s November/December issue article entitled, “Universal Structures as Long Term Sustainable Assets,” were honored today by ULI.

ULI 2014 Apgar Urban Land Awards

Winning authors include Rives Taylor, a principal at Gensler, whose article “Minimizing Risk in an Era of Resilience” appeared in the January/February 2013 issue; and a team at ELS Architecture and Urban Design—principal D. Jamie Rusin, director of retail and mixed use Sean Slater, and senior associate Ryan Call—who cowrote “New Suburbanism: Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs” for the May/June 2013 issue.

Rives Taylor

D. Jamie Rusin, Sean Slater, and Ryan Call.

Taylor’s piece, “Minimizing Risk in an Era of Resilience,” highlights the impact of natural disasters on the built environment and provides practical advice for real estate investors and developers on how they can mitigate risk. The article is divided into what property owners need to consider depending on whether they are reviewing an existing asset, acquiring a new property, or assessing a development opportunity. The article also examines larger investments such as master-planned developments.

The winning article from the ELS Architecture and Urban Design team focused on the opportunities and challenges for infill mixed-use development in inner-ring suburbs across the United States. “New Suburbanism: Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs” uses examples of best practices from across the country to examine a wide range of issues, including mixed-use design challenges, creating an authentic environment, and new approaches to incorporating cars and parking into pedestrian-friendly design.

ULI 2013 Apgar Urban Land Award

Selected articles from the previous calendar year—written by Jason S. Hellendrung, principal, Urban Studio at Sasaki, and Howard J. Kozloff, managing partner, Agora Partners—were selected as recipients of the recognition.

Jason S. Hellendrung (left) and Howard J. Kozloff

“These winners exemplify ULI’s tradition of producing and sharing expert information on land use and real estate issues,” said ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Philips. “They are smart reads backed up by balanced reporting and scientific research. Both articles are refreshing examples of reliable writing in an age of information overload.”

Hellendrung’s winning piece, “HealthLine Drives Growth in Cleveland,” explores the shifting role of the private sector in advancing transit in downtown Cleveland. The HealthLine, the city’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system, has stimulated economic growth along the historic Euclid Avenue since it opened in 2008. Hellendrung’s article describes how the project—involving a diverse partnership of public, private, nonprofit, and neighborhood interests—devised a strategy of catalyzing growth by designing a bus system that emulates a rail line. As a result, Cleveland planners have revised the way they view the link among transportation, jobs, housing, and business.

Kozloff was selected as an award winner for his Urban Land story that made the case for urban parks providing a measurable bump in value and competitive advantage for real estate properties. “The Payoff from Parks” cites specific case studies and empirical research that support the argument that public space can create a property premium for lots within several hundred feet of a green space. Kozloff attributes this to a market demand for interaction, which translates into more retail shoppers and revenue for retail investors. In turn, this increase in activity attracts tenants and increases property value for residential development.

Currently, Hellendrung directs landscape architecture, planning, and urban design work for a range of projects at Sasaki. Some of his current projects include the citywide Parks Master Plan for Hartford, Connecticut; the redesign of Chaparral Street in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas; and the White Flint Redevelopment in North Bethesda, Maryland. One of his notable accomplishments was his time as project manager of the urban design and landscape architecture for the HealthLine BRT and transformation of Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.

In addition to his role at Agora Partners, Kozloff is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the former director of HH Development Strategies and director of operations at Hart Howerton, an international planning, design, and development advisory firm. Before Hart Howerton, he held positions at both the Martin Group and Macerich and previously lectured at Columbia University and the University of Southern California.

ULI 2012 Apgar Urban Land Award

Jeffrey Spivak, senior researcher at HNTB and regular contributor to Urban Land magazine, was named the 2012 winner at ULI’s Spring Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Spivak’s article in Urban Land’s May/June 2011 issue, titled “Seniors’ Housing Acquisitions,” examines how a series of recent blockbuster acquisition deals is transforming the seniors’ housing property sector and why some of the industry’s largest ownership groups are pursuing newer and riskier growth opportunities. This sector, once a solid and safe investment, has experienced consolidation and partnership surges in health care and seniors’ housing real estate investment trusts (REITs). Spivak explains how changes in federal tax law and expectations that the elderly population will jump 36 percent by 2020 are both major reasons why investors see growth potential for seniors’ housing. However, Spivak warns that such changes will make a sector that traditionally has been resistant to economic downturns more sensitive to both economic down cycles and potential cuts in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Spivak has been with HNTB since 2008 and is a regular contributor to publications dedicated to the built environment, including APA’s Planning. He is the author of two books about Kansas City—one about the 1985 World Series and another about Union Station. Before his time at HNTB, he was a civic affairs reporter at the Kansas City Star from 1985 to 2008.

ULI Apgar Urban Land Award Winners

2017 Winner
“Before it Runs Off”
By Kevin Brass

“Drawing People In“
By Kevin Brass

“Rerouting the Trinity River”
By Kevin Brass

2016 Winner
“Imagining the Driverless City”
By Patrick J. Kiger

2015 Winner
“The Making of Miami Beach’s Mixed-Use Garage”
By Dan Malone and Richard Peiser

2014 Winners
“Minimizing Risk in an Era of Resilience”
By Sean Taylor

“New Suburbanism: Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs”
By D. Jamie Rusin; Sean Slater; and Ryan Call

2013 Winners
“HealthLine Drives Growth in Cleveland”
By Jason Hellendrung

“The Payoff from Parks”
By Howard Kozloff

2012 Winner
“Seniors’ Housing Acquisitions”
By Jeffrey Spivak

For additional information, contact [email protected].