WHA Takes On ULI’s 2022 Fall Meeting

The last week of October, I was fortunate to attend the Urban Land Institute Fall Meeting. The Fall Meeting is the largest ULI annual meeting where attendees can go on site tours, listen to educational sessions, participate in round table discussions, hear phenomenal keynote speakers, network with each other, and meet with their national product councils.

I have been active in ULI Orange County/Inland Empire since I entered the industry seventeen years ago, working my way through the Young Leaders Group to the District Advisory Board, currently acting as Co-Chair of Technical Assistance Panels for the District Council. However, this was my first Fall Meeting, and it will be imprinted in my memory as an event where I spoke with industry experts from across the nation, toured incredible master planned communities, experienced fantastic Dallas cuisine, and left feeling inspired and empowered.

The first day was fantastic out of the gate. I attended a site tour consisting of three Dallas-area master planned communities (MPCs) with stellar amenities and lovely homes designed with materials rarely seen in the latest California MPCs. Amenities included large structures for community gatherings, creative playgrounds, beautiful clubhouses and connectivity from neighborhoods to open spaces. Two of the communities were developed by Hillwood Communities (Pecan Square and Harvest) while the third, Veridian, was developed by Johnson Development Corp. If it hadn’t been pouring rain throughout the day, I would have a whole new collection for my “example and aspirational” photo library.

The following days, I attended a variety of education sessions regarding topics on multifamily and multigenerational housing, sustainability (i.e., drought-tolerant development and the EV revolution), emerging trends, and how to use trails, open space, and parks as catalysts to promote economic value.

My favorite of the sessions was: Multigenerational Living: Enhancing Housing and Neighborhoods to Meet Evolving Human Needs. Between the Moderator, the incredible Helen Foster of Foster Strategy, and the talented panelists, Dan Parolek (Opticos Design, Inc.), Rodney Harrell (AARP), and Michael Spotts (ULI  Terwilliger Center for Housing), we listened to discussion on a range of topics including design, parking considerations, missing-middle housing, and cost of living considerations. When stated that by 2034, there will be more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18, the importance of innovative housing solutions and creative community design for this mixed demographic market became even more critical.

New friends made, old friends reconnected, education gained, motivation in full force. I look forward to using my newfound experience and bolstered education from the Fall Meeting to energize our work ahead.