Winter Issue 2022 - 31

INSIDE THE uli foundation
tion's board of directors and chief
executive of Boston Properties,
who through his family foundation
recently donated $1 million to
launch the Net Zero Imperative.
" When Owen Thomas shared
with me his plan to launch a Net
Zero Imperative at ULI with a very
generous personal gift, I was
thrilled and motivated to help, "
Thurber says.
Thurber sees the program,
which will organize technical assistance
panels in cities to assist
building owners in all categories
and local governments in developing
decarbonization strategies,
as building upon ULI Greenprint's
previous work in improving energy
efficiency and reducing carbon
output.
The Net Zero Imperative " will
provide practical guidance to
building owners, tenants, and
residents on how to decarbonize
effectively, efficiently, and in a
financially prudent manner, " she
explains.
Panel recommendations for specific
buildings will be repurposed
to create reference materials
that can be shared and used by
building owners and communities
worldwide. Thurber says that
spreading information and expertise
in that manner " will put us on
the journey to achieving net-zero
carbon for our planet and our communities.
" ULI
is uniquely positioned to
lead, connect, and inspire this
project, totally aligned with ULI's
mission statement, " Thurber says.
" And our members have the
knowledge and skill to accomplish
this huge and important undertaking. "
The
gift establishes Thurber
as a member of the ULI Foundation's
Charles Fraser Society,
which honors those with lifetime
contributions to ULI exceeding $1
million.
GRACE EZYK is a director of digital fundraising
and donor communications with the
ULI Foundation.
Shaw Symposium on
Urban Community
Issues: Equitable
Investment in
Infrastructure and
Housing
Thurber sees the program,
which will organize technical
assistance panels in cities,
as building upon ULI
Greenprint's previous work in
improving energy efficiency
and reducing carbon output.
The Shaw Symposium is an
annual forum endowed by former
ULI chairman Charles " Charlie " H.
Shaw that brings together a selection
of leading national experts
and practitioners to address the
challenges and opportunities of
urban neighborhoods. The September
2021 virtual event focused
on the nexus of infrastructure,
housing, and equity.
As the United States begins to
emerge from a tumultuous year,
Congress debates a series of
infrastructure packages, and communities
increasingly shift their
focus to recovery, it is important
to look to the future informed by
the knowledge of the past. Many
of the challenges facing cities and
neighborhoods are linked to decisions
made decades ago.
These decisions include positive
transformational investments
in transit, parks, and other community
assets that have been
critical to restoring urban vibrancy.
However, they also include the
disastrous legacy of redlining, segregation,
and the intentional dismantling
of neighborhoods-all of
which have produced generational
harm for minority households and
Black families in particular.
A new, more equitable approach
to regional planning and investment
is critical, not only because
it is morally just, but also because
A new, more equitable
approach to regional
planning and investment is
critical, not only because it is
morally just, but also because
it is a key aspect of economic
growth and opportunity.
it is a key aspect of economic
growth and opportunity. As such, a
distinguished group of 2021 Shaw
Symposium attendees elevated
leading practices that have
informed this summary report,
which includes high-level recommendations
and a framework to
assist local communities in designing
and implementing infrastructure
investments.
The goals of this framework are
to achieve the following:
Enable equitable access to
transportation, particularly mass
transit.
Improve access to and affordability
of housing for moderateand
lower-income households.
Reconnect and reinvigorate
neighborhoods damaged by past
infrastructure investments.
Address historical disparities in
community investment, particularly
those based on race, and ensure
equitable access to the economic
opportunities and the benefits of
development.
Improve health, enhance environmental
sustainability, and
reduce climate risks. UL
MICHAEL SPOTTS is a ULI visiting
research fellow and also founder and president
of Neighborhood Fundamentals.
Goals outlined at this year's Shaw Symposium include enabling
equitable access to transportation, particularly mass transit.
WINTER 2022
URBAN LAND
29
SHUTTERSTOCK
Winter Issue 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winter Issue 2022
