National leaders present strategies and insight into adapting cities for the future

PHOENIX, AZ – May 5, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Funding cuts are creating layoffs, reduced services and delayed infrastructure projects for cities nationwide. At a special one-day event on Friday, May 20, 2011, public and private leaders will participate in an interactive discussion on lessons learned and innovative strategies to not just survive, but create thriving cities in a difficult economic environment.

DATE:              Friday, May 20, 2011

TIME:               8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

LOCATION:      Sheraton Downtown Phoenix

COST AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

http://www.ulispring.org/register/

Scholarships available for public sector employees and elected offices.  Contact sheila.hamilton (at) uli (dot) org

“Local governments need to reprioritize and forge new alliances,” says Bob Sharpe, managing partner, Rancho Sahuarita. “Elected officials and private partners will need to work together, leveraging available assets in order to ensure success in the new economic landscape.”

“This forum is an opportunity for community leaders to learn from peers, create roadmaps and plan effective strategies that will have meaningful impact on our cities,” he says.

Keynote speakers are well versed in affecting change. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, will share his work with the public and private sectors to transform the Phoenix region, both physically and educationally.  Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, and former Pittsburgh Mayor and ULI Fellow Thomas Murphy will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing today’s cities. Kay Granger, Texas congresswoman in the U.S. House of Representatives and former Fort Worth mayor, will provide the federal perspective.

The afternoon will focus on a discussion of the role of public-private partnerships in creating prosperous cities.  George W. Jackson, president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, along with David Malmuth, president of David Malmuth Development, LLC, Jerold B. Neuman, partner with Sheppard Mullin, and Denise Gammon, president of the Communities Division for Kitson and Partners and former senior vice president with Forest City, will provide insight and case examples illustrating the similarities between the challenges facing cities and the challenges facing businesses.  Attendees will learn first-hand how the private sector and public officials are adapting to make their cities stronger and more resilient.

Some of the topics to be debated include:

• the impact of economic development and job creation strategies on city revitalization;

• demographic changes and what they mean for cities;

• the funding gaps facing cities and how today’s public-private partnerships can address them;

• how cities are tackling infrastructure issues from highways to schools; and

• the challenges facing cities as they witness the demise of the suburban ring.

This special one-day event is being held in conjunction with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Real Estate Summit at the Spring Council Forum. The meeting is a unique, three-day event that brings together real estate leaders from across the country and from every sector of the industry. To find out more or register for the full, three-day meeting, visit www.ulispring.org.

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Contact:
Sheila Hamilton, 623-581-2851, sheila.hamilton (at) uli (dot) org