The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is responding to the structural changes in European city centres. At the suggestion of ULI member Midstad, the previous ULI Retail Council will be strategically developed and supplemented by the mixed-use aspect. In the future, the body will operate under the title Mixed-Use Council.
The realignment reflects a fundamental change. Monofunctional retail concepts are becoming less and less important, while mixed-use districts are coming into focus as more resilient and future-proof models. In addition to retail, mixed-use concepts integrate working environments, health services, education, housing, gastronomy and cultural uses, among other things. They help to stabilise frequency, increase the quality of life and strengthen city centres as social and economic centres in the long term.
As an active part of the ULI network, Midstad is continuously involved in the professional exchange on the future of urban development. The focus is on the transformation of existing inner-city properties into lively, resilient places with a measurable social and ecological impact. The realignment of the Council also underlines the ULI’s claim to pick up on current developments at an early stage and to actively shape the discourse – towards integrated, human-centered urban development.
Sabine Georgi, Managing Director of ULI in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: “With the further development from retail to a mixed-use council, we are consistently addressing the changed requirements for city centres. Mixed use is not a trend, but a central prerequisite for lively and sustainable urban spaces. The Council offers an important platform to actively shape this change together with leading players in the industry.”
Dr. Kevin Meyer, Managing Director of Midstad, adds: “The challenges of our city centers can no longer be solved in isolation through retail. What is needed are holistic concepts that intelligently combine different uses and are consistently oriented towards people’s needs. The renaming to Mixed-Use Council is therefore a logical step and an important signal for the further development of our industry.”
