Rosan, Richard

Synopsis: With the rollout of our new brand identity and our new Web site, ULI is changing its look, its tools, and the way in which we work.

Much is new at ULI this summer.

Virtual ULI—a new online tool created to give ULI members both better and more easily accessible interaction with the institute and with fellow members—was launched this month. Through Virtual ULI, the institute is revamping its Web presence and introducing streamlined services to enable members to take advantage of ULI’s numerous resources and programs. This will also better equip ULI in offering its online educational workshops and other Webinar programs, as well as enhance its exchange of best practices and improve the availability of industry research.

With the rollout of the improved and redesigned Web site, some changes will also be made to the ULI brand identity. This revitalized identity represents a contemporary take on the ULI logo, reflecting the institute’s commitment to sustainable land use for the 21st century. Introduction of the new logo design is timed to coincide not only with the Web site launch, but also with a number of new projects and initiatives as ULI continues its work globally.

Still immediately recognizable as the Urban Land Institute, the new ULI brand reflects the institute’s ever-broadening constituencies, while still communicating ULI’s value as a trusted place for knowledge and leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. The new identity will be rolled out in all ULI communications over the next few months.

The adoption of a new look coincides with a number of major changes that have taken place over the past year at ULI. These changes include:

• A major staff decentralization, with staff members regrouped into three operating regions: ULI the Americas, including a western regional office in the United States; ULI Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India; and ULI Asia.
• Realignment of the institute’s programs, products, and services around priority areas—specifically, housing, infrastructure, and sustainability; and
• Substantial technology advances, as are evident with Virtual ULI and with the recent office-to-office communication among the institute’s regional offices.

All the recent changes are part of the ongoing efforts by ULI to stay relevant to its expanding membership, and to continue to be effective both locally and globally, especially because land use has a key role to play in addressing the economic and environmental challenges faced by urban areas around the world. The enhancement of ULI’s brand is intended to send the message that the institute is evolving and refocusing to meet the changing times.