UrbanPlan has been around for over 20 years in ULI and launched in ULI Nashville in 2022. It is a simulation exercise where each participant is given a role on a development team vying for a city contract to redevelop six square blocks of an in-town neighborhood devastated by a fire. It requires participants to utilize critical thinking skills and work collectively while considering the lived environment of a community in ways unfamiliar to most people. The program can be catered to high school students, college and university students, and even community leaders/public officials. Students are introduced to the multitude of career options that exist in land development, and the different ways in which to impact not only their personal lives but their communities as well. The roles are Environment & Equity Director, Financial Analyst, Marketing Director, Neighborhood Liaison, and Site Planner. 

The teams respond to an RFP, they establish their vision, and then they get down to the work of trying to build out the city blocks to meet the RFP and the vision. They use their critical thinking to ensure they are meeting their financial goals, developer goals, affordable housing goals, sustainability goals, and addressing the concerns of neighbors and stakeholder groups. The teams are using Legos on a site map board and a simplified pro forma to keep track of all their data. The punchline to all of it is that development involves compromise, but knowing where you need to compromise to reach your vision and honor the city’s vision, and the neighborhood’s vision. In the end, each team presents its proposal to a “City Council” of ULI members that awards the development contract to the winning team. UrbanPlan gives students the opportunity to directly interact with a variety of development professionals and provides relevant insight into the development process, creating a path for the next generation of industry professionals.   

Interested in learning more about UrbanPlan or becoming an UrbanPlan volunteer? Contact Madison Allen at [email protected] for more information.