District Council Task Forces for Health and Social Equity

About

As the result of a competitive process, ULI District Councils in Arizona, Chicago, Sacramento and Tampa Bay were selected to convene member-led task forces to identify policy and regulatory barriers to healthier and more equitable places and provide recommendations for local policy shifts and reforms. This project, led by ULI’s Building Healthy Places Initiative with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is an exciting opportunity for ULI members to leverage their leadership positions in communities to explore and document problematic policies and practices, and to push for reform and change. 

Working through late 2020, each Task Force will illuminate local policies and practices that make health-promoting development difficult or increase the vulnerability of low-income people, build a case that reform is needed, and prepare specific recommendations for shifts in policy and practice.

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Join the Technical Resources Group

ULI members are needed to serve on the Technical Resource Group to advise task force teams on a variety of topics, including transit and transit-oriented development, active transportation, parking, zoning, affordable housing, urban design, social equity, and racial justice. Visit navigator.uli.org to express interest.

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ULI District Councils Task Forces and their areas of focus include:

ULI Arizona – Exploring New Models For Affordable Housing Along Transit

ULI Arizona to explore innovative ideas to address housing affordability in urban areas near transit

Throughout the Metro-Phoenix region, a growing number of households (low-income, workforce, millennial, senior) are being priced out of revitalizing urban centers, particularly in proximity to transit and essential service infrastructure. With a focus on the City of Tempe, the Task Force will explore creative approaches, incentive policies, and partnerships that increase healthy, affordable living options for everyone in urban neighborhoods, with a focus on solutions that support inclusivity avoiding displacement.

Task Force Co-Chairs:

  • C.J. Eisenbarth Hager, Director, Healthy Community Policies, Vitalyst Health Foundation
  • Silvia Urrutia, U Developing, LLC, Managing Partner, Consultant, ASU Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family

 

ULI Chicago – Unlocking Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

ULI Chicago to focus on making Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) easier to build

The City of Chicago has a growing shortage of affordable housing for moderate- and lower-income households, however, building Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) such as attic- and basement-level units is currently either illegal or very challenging to do. The Task Force will identify the most significant barriers and solutions for creating ADUs. Participants will work with Albany Park neighborhood leaders and other grassroot organizations to develop implementable recommendations.

Task Force Co-Chairs:

  • Todd Berlinghof, Partner, Hamilton Partners
  • Molly Ekerdt, Vice President, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc.

 

ULI Sacramento – Informing a Local Health and Equity Toolkit

ULI Sacramento to address inequitable land use and transportation planning in local neighborhoods

A legacy of improper land use and transportation decisions have contributed to health and equity disparities in South Sacramento. The Task Force will lead culturally inclusive conversations, analysis, and research to address policies and practices responsible for poor air; lack of affordable housing; inequitable access to parks, healthcare, and food; insufficient mobility; and overall community investment.

Task Force Co-Chairs:

  • Jose Bodipo-Memba, Director of Sustainable Communities, SMUD
  • Marq Truscott, FASLA, Principal, ATLAS Lab

 

ULI Tampa Bay – Preparing Tampa for a Multimodal Future

ULI Tampa Bay to evaluate existing policy barriers to establishing transit-oriented neighborhoods

Recent passage of dedicated transit funding and local leadership changes have created a unique and time‐limited opportunity to adapt Tampa’s land‐use and housing policies along future transit corridors. The Task Force will identify policies and processes that will foster transit-oriented development to improve access to key destinations, address disparities in social equity, and promote pedestrian safety and health.

Task Force Chair:

  • Keith Greminger, Senior Planning & Urban Design Manager, Kimley-Horn

Learn More

Please be in touch with the ULI Building Healthy Places Initiative at health@uli.org with any questions or comments.

ULI is grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for its support of this program.