A Land Use Leader for the 21st Century: Patrick L. Phillips Named New Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Land Institute

Phillips will start at ULI on September 14, 2009. The opportunity to guide ULI staff presents a unique chance to help boost the influence the Institute has on land use both globally and locally, Phillips said. “ULI is clearly the premier research and education organization involving land use. I am thrilled to take on the responsibility for leading an organization that provides such an unbeatable combination of intellectual content and member service.”

The global recession, he noted, has presented a challenging environment in which ULI must stay relevant and provide high member value. “While ULI has traditionally been viewed through the lens of development and growth, we are facing lower prospects for growth in a number of the established markets we serve worldwide. At the same time, we are starting to have a larger presence in emerging markets. We need to take a fresh look at the entire portfolio of products and services ULI provides to make sure that what we offer reflects member needs, both in times of changing market conditions and for the long term,” Phillips said.

He stressed that ULI’s core priority areas -- 1) sustainability, including environmentally and economically viable investment and development; 2) connecting infrastructure and land use planning; 3) workforce housing; and 4) capital markets – continue to be relevant in the current economic environment. In fact, positioning ULI in the dialogs on sustainability and restoring capital flows are two areas of particular urgency, Phillips said. Given the worldwide scope of the discussions and public policy changes related to these issues, “ULI has a profound role to play,” he said.

Phillips foresees reinforcing ULI’s value to members not just through the improvement of the Institute’s traditional programs and business development tools – aimed at providing immediate take-home value – but also through the development of research designed to have an impact on various policy debates. “ULI is hugely influential in how urban areas are developed around the world. I look forward to exploring new ways and new partnerships to build on ULI’s previous success and move the Institute forward in the decades to come,” he said.