Peter Ballon, global head of real estate for CPP Investments, will serve on a voluntary basis for a two-year term and will provide member leadership as the Urban Land Institute (ULI) focuses on three new global mission priorities: decarbonization, education and housing.
All three priorities will be underpinned by a commitment and focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
“I am honored to follow in the path of many leaders in the real estate industry and serve as ULI’s global chair,” said Ballon. “ULI is a member-driven organization and I see my role very much as a steward of the Institute. I will focus my efforts on delivering our mission and shaping our programs in the way that our members want to see them implemented.”
“Peter is a very accomplished real estate leader with extensive experience of leading global organizations,” said Ed Walter, ULI’s global CEO. “Peter’s insights and guidance will be invaluable to ULI as we continue with our global expansion and explore new ways to make an impact in communities worldwide.”
According to ULI, they will look to increase the number of housing permits and starts in target cities around the world by 2025, by providing its members with targeted and applicable best practice information. ULI will develop and fund a “Focus on Housing” program that combines Advisory Services panels and research to create a compendium of best practices that can guide cities to develop solutions to create more housing. ULI will continue to publish its Housing Attainability Report and will utilize the ULI Terwilliger Center’s Kemp and Larson Awards programs to showcase creative housing solutions.
“The three mission priorities will help us deliver the mission by focusing our collective efforts on tackling a few well-defined real estate challenges where we can make a significant and measurable difference,” said Ed Walter. “Our mission priorities will influence the programs we deliver, the events that we organize, the content that we produce and who we partner with and raise funds from.”
“ULI needs to focus on the greatest challenges and opportunities of the day and concentrate on where we can have the greatest impact,” added Ballon. “Based on feedback that we have received from ULI’s members, there are three challenges and opportunities that currently stand out. Perhaps the greatest challenge and where real estate has an outsized influence is climate change. ULI can be a thought leader, helping the real estate world address that challenge and turn it from a negative to a great opportunity for all stakeholders in the industry.”
“Affordable housing is becoming more and more a challenge as wealth disparity grows,” added Peter Ballon. “Finding a better way to ensure that more people have access to affordable housing is a goal—and an opportunity—for all real estate stakeholders. Each city has its own unique challenges, but the need for a solution is global and needs to be addressed immediately.”
Source: ULI
