The Urban Land Institute (ULI), headquartered in Washington, D.C., is an international nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. The mission of ULI is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.

Established in 1936, the Institute has more 35,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

ULI was founded when many American cities were experiencing both suburban expansion and urban decay, with limited public sector planning and no guidance available to the private sector. No organization existed in the country to research, analyze, or encourage responsible patterns for long-term urban growth.

ULI’s original objectives were very similar to its guiding principles today. These were: to study and interpret real estate trends; to examine principles through which private enterprise could effectively develop real estate; to develop a body of knowledge in real estate and allied subjects; to publish informative texts and technical journals based on that knowledge; and to act as a statistical clearinghouse for the dissemination of real estate data.

The Institute’s continuing focus on nonpartisan research and education has made it one of the world’s most respected and quoted organizations in urban planning, land use, and development.

ULI LEADERSHIP

ULI Chairman (July 2009-June 2011) Jeremy Newsum, Executive Trustee, Grosvenor Estate, United Kingdom

President, ULI Worldwide Patrick L. Phillips, Washington, D.C.

President, ULI The Americas Cheryl Cummins, Washington, D.C.

President, ULI Europe, Middle East, Africa and India William Kistler, London, U.K.