About

Around the world, communities face pressing health challenges related to the built environment. Individual and public health outcomes are the result of many factors related to where people live and work and the influence that their homes, workplaces, and communities exert on their well-being. A core component of thriving communities, health is shaped by an accumulation of factors from housing to transportation, education, and job opportunities — the social determinants of health.

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 Healthy Places program is managed by a dedicated team with a strong understanding of the connections between health and the built environment. The Healthy Places staff works to connect ULI’s powerful global networks with research and resources to move the conversation forward.

After 2017, Healthy Places became one of the four flagship programs of the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate, along with the Resilience Program, Decarbonization,  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, Healthy Places has produced a wide variety of reports and publications, provided technical assistance with 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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