Former Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III, who served as a ULI senior resident fellow and the ULI/Joseph C. Canizaro Chair for Public Policy from 1996 to 2009, passed away on December 18 after a lengthy illness. He was 84.

During his time at the Institute, Hudnut wrote three books: Cities on the Rebound, Halfway to Everywhere, and Changing Metropolitan America: Planning for a Sustainable Future. He was a highly sought-after speaker on urban revitalization, and he participated on numerous Advisory Services panels. Read ULI Global CEO Patrick Phillips’s tribute to Hudnut below.

“Bill Hudnut was a great leader and an inspiration for many of us at ULI. He was a gifted speaker—passionate, folksy, and funny—and he was a graceful writer. Bill used his perch at the Institute to convey a message that coupled vision with pragmatism, true to his leadership as mayor of Indianapolis and in the U.S. Congress.

He embodied and was a tireless advocate for many of the principles we hold dear at ULI: an ethical and responsible approach to urban development; an inclusive vision of cities and their potential to create opportunity; and the belief that public officials and business leaders have to work productively together for cities to succeed.

ULI is fortunate that during Bill’s long and productive time on Earth, he chose to spend some of it with us. We’ll miss him.”

Patrick L. Phillips
Global Chief Executive Officer
Urban Land Institute

The Influence of Bill Hudnut: Remaking Indianapolis and Inviting Public Officials into ULI

In December 2015, William Hudnut spoke with ULI Connect about lessons learned regarding the challenges and opportunities that accompany successful community building. Read the interview.