Home  >  Initiatives  >  Technical Assistance Panel

Learn About: Project Analysis Session | Fellows Advisory Panel | On-site Analysis Session | Five-day Panel | District Council Technical Assistance Programs (TAPs) | Advisory Workshops | International Panels | Special Services 

It's Not a Plan... It's a Strategy!
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) was founded in 1936 as a non-profit institute to conduct research and provide information on all aspects of real estate development and land use policy. ULI has over 29,000 public and private sector members comprised of professionals in all aspects of real estate development, policy, and regulation. It has members in 80 countries, a staff of over 100 in Washington, D.C., and a $27 million operating budget. The ULI has been a leader in smart growth, mixed use development, urban redevelopment, transportation, and affordable housing.

Since 1947, ULI’s Advisory Services Program has been assisting communities by bringing together panels of seasoned real estate, planning, financing, marketing, and development experts to provide unbiased pragmatic advice on complex land use and development issues. Often these panels meet with the sponsoring government or non-profit entity for five days at a fee of about $110,000, and typically address issues of a broad and long-range scope.

Project Analysis Session - A two-hour "over-the-shoulder" look at your project. A team of ULI members spends time with you reviewing your project and providing feedback on specific issues related to your plans. Project Analysis Sessions are held at the ULI Spring and Fall meetings and at select conferences throughout the year. Panel sponsors receive a tape of the session.

Fellows Advisory Panel - A day and a half with two to three of ULI's Senior Resident Fellows brainstorming about specific issues related to a development project, or land use policy. ULI's Senior Resident Fellows are distinguished experts providing leadership in land use policy and practice in the areas of finance, retail, transportation, housing, urban development, and urban policy. Seasoned practitioners, they can come to your community to share their expertise as well as creative approaches from all around the country. The team presents its recommendations to the sponsor and an executive summary report is written outlining the team's recommendations.

On-site Analysis Session - A three and one half day session with four to five ULI members who will provide you with recommendations as you begin to form strategies for addressing difficult land use issues. This "SWAT Team" approach will help you focus in on the critical decisions that need to be made and formulate some key action items for you to implement. A presentation of the panel's findings and recommendations is presented on the final day and a report is written for the sponsor.

Five-day Panel - The flagship of ULI's Advisory Services Program, a 5-day panel involves a diverse team of eight to ten members who work together to investigate the market potential, develop planning and design strategies, recommend phasing options, and outline implementation steps for you. The panel presents its findings and recommendations on the last day and a draft and final report, including the panel's graphics, is prepared for the sponsor.

District Council Technical Assistance Programs (TAPs) - Conducted by local ULI members, TAPs are a 1-day session in which a local government or non-profit organization asks the District Council to provide advice on a specific land use issue. The problems addressed by a TAP are very focused. TAPs provide local communities access to expertise and advice that they may not be able to obtain through any other means. A report is typically written at the conclusion of a TAP.

Advisory Workshops - A team of ULI members will spend two to three days helping you work through specific land use policy issues. Examples of issues addressed include workforce housing strategies, growth management strategies, and real estate asset management. The written report provides you with an overview of the issues and recommendations for addressing them.

International Panels - ULI is expanding its Advisory Services Program beyond the United States and conducting more and more panels abroad. However, there are times when the panel program that works well in the U.S. needs to be adapted to meet the needs of international sponsors. ULI staff work with potential sponsors of panels outside the United States to define the issues, determine the specific needs, and work to modify the existing programs to meet those needs.

Special Services - ULI will work with all potential sponsors to define a program to meet its needs. We recognize that each sponsor is unique with a set if issues that are very important to the specific community. Perhaps a phased approach would be best-spending some time in the community identifying action steps and then returning at a later date to evaluate the progress. Maybe a Fellows Advisory Panel is needed to help layout the issues and questions to be addressed in a 5-­day panel. ULI staff will work with you to define a process that will meet your needs and provide you with the momentum for moving forward.

Return to Top