At a time when the development of cities to accommodate growing populations is of particular interest worldwide, a major event is coming to Dublin to explore the topic in depth.
The ULI Europe Real Estate Forum, which takes place September 12th and 13th, is an exclusive, pan-European real estate conference organised by the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit research and education organisation.
ULI has over 40,000 members in 75 countries. Founded in the US in 1936, and supported entirely by its members, the institute represents the entire spectrum of land use and property development disciplines, across both the public and private sectors.
The Dublin event, which takes place in the Guinness Storehouse, will bring together more than 200 top players in real estate from Ireland and beyond, keen to use the opportunity to make connections, discuss practical solutions to the challenges facing cities, and share ideas about the future direction of real estate.
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The forum is being held in partnership with ULI Ireland, which is currently chaired by John Bruder, co-founder and managing director of Burlington Real Estate.
A vibrant and active chapter of the global ULI organisation, ULI Ireland is committed to being the country’s leading association dedicated to fostering best practice and thought leadership in the planning, design, development and management of the urban environment.
The forum is a key pillar in this mission, and will explore the successful management and implementation of “placemaking”, or the way in which developers and city planners must go beyond urban design to improve a community’s social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing.
The event starts with the Member Dinner in Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel, featuring an address by economist David McWilliams.
The following day sees a packed schedule of discussion and debate from some of the top names in real estate and land use, including key note speaker James von Klemperer, president and design principal of the global architectural practice Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York.
Topics covered throughout the day will include key ingredients for successful large-scale placemaking, how to future-proof urban development - and redevelopment - in an era of continuous change, and an exploration of the new generation public and private sector collaboration.
Also up for discussion are practical ways to enhance cooperation among all actors to implement and manage significant urban development projects more effectively. Panellists will also explore the ways in which investors are driving demand for, and managing, mixed-use districts and buildings.
Delegates will hear about innovative practices in the management of both buildings and districts, as industry leaders share insights into how they are transforming the management of assets.
ULI is an ideal forum for real estate professionals who care about the creation of vibrant and competitive urban areas
Headline speakers include Nicolas Bearelle, co-founder and CEO of Re-Vive, a Belgium-based urban developer which specialises in the regeneration of urban brownfields into sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods.
Also providing key insights is Professor Juergen Bruns-Berentelg, chief executive of HafenCity, a public company owned by the City State of Hamburg charged with managing Europe's largest urban redevelopment project – and biggest building site.
Among the star turns too is Dublin-born James Mary O'Connor, fellow of the American Institute of Architects and principal of Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planning in Santa Monica, California.
As principal-in-charge, O’Connor has provided design leadership for several award-winning residential, academic and mixed-use urban projects. His international work includes large-scale housing and planning projects in Sweden, the Philippines, Japan, and several areas of China.
He has a special interest in uncommon building types, reflected in his work on the Sunlaw Power Plant Prototype in Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Civic Centre Parking Structure. Closer to home, his current prominent projects include the competition-winning Grangegorman Master Plan.
John Mulcahy, chairman of the Irish Property Unit Trust (IPUT), the largest unlisted property vehicle in Ireland, and a former NAMA board member, will address the theme of investing in places.
Other top-notch speakers include Carole Pollard, past president of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Paul van Stiphout, senior portfolio manager of real estate in the Amsterdam office of APG Asset Management and Marion Waller, an advisor for urbanism and attractiveness to the city of Paris, who was involved in the launch of "Reinventing Paris", an international call for innovative urban projects on 23 Parisian sites.
Jay Wyper, senior VP at Hines Conceptual Construction Group in Houston, will outline key ingredients for successful, large-scale placemaking. It's something he has extensive experience in, having helped develop more than 25.6 million square feet of commercial real estate representing an investment of approximately $6.4 billion.
The Dublin forum is ULI's newest pan-European event and is open to ULI members only. Hosts include both ULI Ireland chair John Bruder and Lisette van Doorn, chief executive of ULI Europe.
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“ULI is an ideal forum for real estate professionals who care about the creation of vibrant and competitive urban areas,” says Bruder.
“Our members represent the top players from all sectors of the industry - all with a common goal of fostering best practice and thought leadership in the planning, design, development and management of the urban environment. We are thrilled that the ULI Europe Real Estate Forum will take place in Dublin this year and we encourage senior real estate professionals across Ireland to join ULI and take advantage of this exclusive event.”
The theme is particularly apt; “Placemaking plays a crucial role in creating vibrant and liveable communities,” says van Doorn.
“Creating appealing, accessible and well-connected places is in the interest of citizens and users of the space as well as investors and developers. Both the public and private sectors have an important role to play in the development of these communities. The ULI Europe Real Estate Forum will provide a unique forum to bring these stakeholders together - along with a host of expert speakers - to explore the key ingredients for successful place-making.”