NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: Members of the media and public are invited to a public virtual presentation of the findings on Thursday, July 29, at 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. Click on this link to join: https://uli.zoom.us/j/99667036215?pwd=NmsxSVBVbnY5OW4rN3Z0TU9qTDEyZz09

WASHINGTON (July 22, 2021) – A group of renowned urban planning and real estate experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI) will be making recommendations next week to the City of Elkhart, Indiana, on revitalizing the city’s downtown. ULI is a global, multidisciplinary real estate organization whose work is driven by more than 45,000 members dedicated to shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

The ULI representatives will be conducting the program for the City of Elkhart July 27–29 through ULI’s Virtual Advisory Services Panel (vASP) offering. The panel is a multi-day, virtual program that is tailored to meet a community’s specific needs, bringing together real estate experts in different areas such as land use, urban renewal, and community growth. They will spend time interviewing local stakeholders, understanding the community’s needs, and delivering advice on how best to tackle the issue at hand.

Sponsored by the City of Elkhart, as part of the continued Elkhart THRIVE 2040 implementation initiative, the panel will provide strategic recommendations on the following:

• What investment opportunities would best reinforce and expand downtown Elkhart’s role in the region, building on its central business district;
• What amenities are essential to the downtown’s growth, given Elkhart’s economic profile and strengths;
• Where housing best fits in the expanded downtown area and what nontraditional housing options can help address Elkhart’s housing gap;
• How to maximize the presence of waterways and green space around downtown, reestablishing nearby areas as neighborhoods of choice;
• How Elkhart’s leaders can address community members’ priorities for the downtown area; and
• Strategies for Elkhart’s leaders to fund downtown development.

The panel will be led by Glenda Hood, president of Hood Partners in Orlando, Florida. “We look forward to bringing a ULI panel of knowledgeable and exceptionally experienced individuals to assist the leadership in Elkhart focus upon the important role their downtown represents for the region,” she said. “Working with the community, we can reimagine a downtown that builds upon its strengths, creates opportunities for the future, and ensures a vibrant place for residents, businesses and visitors.”

Hood will be joined on the panel by Daniel Anderton, senior associate of community design and planning at Dewberry in Hampton, Virginia; Faron Hill, founder and president of Peregrine Oak in Atlanta, Georgia; Tom Murphy, senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C.; Greg Stype, attorney at Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Columbus, Ohio; and Nancy P. Whitworth, former director of economic and community development with the City of Greenville in South Carolina.

Now in its 74th year, the ULI Advisory Services program assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use to participate on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs, and policies. Panels have developed more than 700 studies for a broad range of land uses, ranging from economic revival to climate change adaptation.

According to Thomas Eitler, senior vice president of ULI’s Advisory Services program, the strength of the program lies in ULI’s unique ability to draw on the substantial knowledge of its 45,000-plus members, including land developers, engineers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners, and urban designers. “The independent views of the panelists bring a fresh perspective to the land use challenge,” Eitler said. “The Advisory Services program is all about offering creative, innovative approaches to community building.

Past sponsors of ULI advisory services panels include federal, state, and local government agencies; regional councils of government; chambers of commerce; redevelopment authorities; private developers and property owners; community development corporations; lenders; historic preservation groups; non-profit community groups; environmental organizations; and economic development agencies.

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About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 45,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information on ULI, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.