Despite a growing understanding of connections between health and the built environment, many places are created in ways that do not support holistic health and wellness for people and the planet. Deep structural and longstanding inequities and injustices plague U.S. cities and communities and jeopardize the health and the promise of too many people.

Climate change is increasing the vulnerability of already marginalized people, exposing them to myriad health and financial risks. These challenges require urgent solutions, and the real estate industry has a key role to play in addressing pressing health challenges and proactively promoting health and social equity.

In 2013, ULI’s Board of Directors approved a focus on healthy communities as a cross-disciplinary theme for the organization. The Building Healthy Places (BHP) Initiative is managed by a dedicated team with a strong understanding of the connections between health and the built environment. The Building Healthy Places Initiative staff works to connect ULI’s powerful global networks with research and resources to move the conversation forward.

• Social equity and racial justice are core features of healthy communities. This list includes resources for real estate leaders.
• The coronavirus has elevated the importance of health in real estate. This list has resources for land use professionals on COVID-19 and its impacts on healthy buildings, the built environment, and the workplace.

In 2017, Building Healthy Places became one of the three flagship programs of the ULI Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance, along with the Urban Resilience Program and the Greenprint Center for Building Performance. The Center is dedicated to driving more sustainable, environmentally responsible, and financially successful outcomes in real estate development and investment, and to helping ULI members create healthy, resilient, and resource-efficient communities around the world. The Center advances knowledge and catalyzes adoption of transformative market practices and policies that lead to improved sustainability, health, resource efficiency, and resilience.

Since its inception, Building Healthy Places has produced a wide variety of reports and publications, provided technical assistance to cities across the country, and has held regular member convenings with the goals of cultivating champions, driving industry change, and making cities and regions healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable.

For more information or to be added to our mailing list, contact us anytime at [email protected].

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