"There is no such thing as a new economy," reflected Wayne
Falbey, SW Florida's District Chair of the Urban Land Institute.
Falbey's introductory remarks suggested that
an unseen tectonic shift may soon change the character of the commercial real
estate environment. He urged the development community to keep their eye on the
big picture without being distracted by a firehose worth of data streaming at
them. The expert presentations that followed put commercial and community
development trends into a global perspective.
The Urban Land Institute is a non profit, nonpartisan
organization dedicated to research and development. Its mission statement is "to
provide responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total
environment.
Judging from the tenor of
the presentations, it would appear that ULI members take a very responsible
approach to development whether in urban mixed-use environments or in
master-planned communities.
Local chapter
membership has grown dramatically from 40 six months ago to 100 as of
June 2000--with a goal of 200 by September 30, 2000. Their objective is 'smart
growth' which aims to create communities that acknowledge environmental
concerns, resident needs, and the economical use of land.
Information on the benefits of membership is available from
Ann Kingon: 941 949-1100.
An
application can be obtained from the District Council Office: 941 566-8440.
A link to the ULI web site is
shown below.
