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U.S. Councils

Councils play a key role in ULI’s mission of providing leadership in the responsible use of land and creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Through exchanging information and sharing best practices, Council meetings offer industry leaders vital opportunities to further ULI’s mission. In addition, the Councils are part of the larger ULI and its work, and every effort should be made to integrate the work of the Councils into the Institute’s overall program of work, as well as to ensure that the Institute’s priorities are conveyed to Council leadership for integration into each individual Council’s work.

ULI Council members play a critical role in building communities, developing and redeveloping neighborhoods, envisioning and recreating business districts, planning and implementing industrial parks, bringing residential, retirement, and recreational spaces to life, and designing mixed use facilities that are a part of our nation’s sustainable urban and suburban environments.
General Purposes of the Council Program
  • Provide a forum for information exchange on the state-of-the-art in the development field
  • Develop and maintain an informational and response capability for addressing development problems and opportunities
  • Provide an appropriate focus on the major social and economic goals and issues of the day
  • Provide input to impact and influence community attitudes and lifestyles regarding development
  • Apply research to innovative applications in land use planning
  • Seek meaningful ways for all Councils to relate to and interact with each other
  • Capitalize upon the efforts of ULI's membership talent to strengthen the Institute's overall impact and thrust


Value of Council Participation
Professional Development
  • Establishes recognition as an industry leader
  • Provides a forum for information exchange among peers on the “state-of-the-art” in the development field
  • Assures an opportunity to develop and maintain an educational environment for addressing development problems and opportunities
Forum for Industry Issues
  • Provides access to industry leader discussions on the major social and economic goals and issues of the day related to developmentProvides interaction with public official members in order to interact constructively with public agencies and public interest organizations
  • Allows participants to apply research to innovative applications in land use planning which can then be disseminated through Urban Land Magazine and/or other publications, forums, and meetings
  • Provides opportunities to focus on trends and issues of your specific industry segment
Networking
  • Offers accessibility to ULI’s leadership and policy makers
  • Provides networking opportunities with recognized industry leaders in specific field of interest
  • Offers meaningful ways for all Councils to relate to and interact with each other


Eligibility and Attendance Requirements
  • Only ULI Full Members are eligible to participate on Councils
  • ULI membership must be current and Council Affiliation Fees (CAF) paid within 60 days following appointment in order to remain on a Council
  • Council members, upon payment of the CAF, agree to remain on the Council to which they have been appointed for a period of one year (through June 30 of the year of their appointment)
  • Each Council is comprised of approximately 50-60 members, flights (colors) are created when demand for a particular Council exceeds the cap
  • Councils meet for a full day of private meetings at the annual Fall Meeting and Spring Council Forum
  • Council members must attend two out of three consecutive meetings in order to retain their seat, or obtain an excused absence from the Chair of the Council
  • Councils get together for a dinner or reception one evening during each Meeting (usually the evening before the Council Day Program). Depending on the Council you may be required to pay a yearly fee towards a dinner fund regardless of attendance at the dinner or reception


Expectation of Council Members
  • Attend and participate as speakers and panelists at ULI Spring Council Forums and Fall Meetings.
  • Attend and participate as speakers and panelists at Council Meetings.
  • Serve as panelists at Project Analysis Sessions held in conjunction with the Spring Council Forums and Fall Meetings.
  • Serve as panel members for Advisory Services assignments scheduled throughout the year.
  • Contribute to ULI publications through the contribution of articles and papers.
  • Participate as Committee/Subcommittee/Task Force members, if so appointed.
  • Participate in Research and Education Programs.
  • Participate in District Council programs in their area.


How to Join a U.S. Council

If you are a ULI Full Member, please complete the Council Wait List Form below, indicating your top three choices for a Council appointment. Return the form to ULI along with a text version (electronic copy that may be copied and pasted) of your current biography as detailed in the instructions. You will be placed on the wait list for a period of three years during which time your name and qualifications will be available to the leadership teams of the Councils you have chosen.

In order to maximize your chances of being selected, we encourage you to get in touch with the Membership Vice Chair of your top choices to discuss any upcoming vacancies on the Council (Please click below for an up to date report of Council vacancies, as well as Council leadership contact information). You may check on your wait list choices anytime through your personal page at our website.

Brief Description of each Council
Council Focus Summary (PDF)

Contact Information for Council leadership teams
Council Leadership Contacts (PDF)

Vacancy and Wait List Information
Current Council Statistics (PDF)

Join a Council Wait List
Council Wait-list Application (PDF)



U.S. Council Areas of Activity

ULI currently has 48 U.S. Councils, focusing on 23 areas of activity in development products, development processes, and international issues.  A list of the Councils and flight levels follow.

  • Affordable/Workforce Housing Council (AWHC)
  • Community Development Council (CDC)(Blue, Gold, Green, & Silver flights)
  • Commercial & Retail Development Council (CRC)(Blue, Gold, Green, & Silver flights)
  • Corporate Real Estate Council (CREC) - on Hiatus*
  • Entertainment Development Council (EDC)
  • Global Exchange Council (GEC)
  • HealthCare & Life Sciences Council (HCLSC)
  • Hotel Development Council (HDC)
  • Inner-City Council (ICC)  
  • Industrial & Office Park Development Council (IOPC)(Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Red, & Silver flights)
  • Manufactured Housing Community Council (MHCC)
  • Multi-Family Council (MFC)(Blue, Bronze, Gold, & Silver flights)
  • Office Development Council (ODC)
  • Public Development and Infrastructure Council (PDIC)
  • Public/Private Partnership Council (PPPC)(Blue & Gold flights)
  • Recreational Development Council (RDC)(Blue, Gold, Red, & Silver flights)
  • Responsible Property Investment Council (RPIC)
  • Residential Neighborhood Development Council (RNDC)(Blue & Gold flights)
  • Sustainable Development Council (SDC)
  • Senior Housing Council (SHC)
  • Small-Scale Development Council (SSDC)(Blue, Gold, & Silver flights)
  • Transit Oriented Development Council (TODC)
  • Urban Development/Mixed-Use Council (UD/MUC)(Blue, Bronze, Gold, Green, Purple, Red, & Silver flights)