Places + Spaces to focus on reviving cities

This time the Urban Land Institute’s series of meetings will feature Maria Vassilakou, until recently the deputy mayor of Vienna – a city that is one of the best places to live in and for investing in real estate, according to this year’s ‘Emerging Trends in Real Estate in Europe’ report prepared by ULI and PwC. She has been responsible for the development of Vienna’s smart city framework as well as its transformation agenda, including greater pedestrianisation and conversions of brownfield sites into affordable and family-friendly urban districts.

The speakers will also include Alexandra Notay, a build-to-rent fund director at PfP Capital, which is part of Places for People, one of the largest residential real estate companies in the UK. Alexandra is a recognised specialist in placemaking and sustainable urban development as well as the executive director of ULI UK. In 2019, BISNOW Women Leaders ranked her among the 48 women set to shape the future of UK real estate. Viggo Haremst, a partner and design director at the Henning Larsen Architects A/S studio, will also be on hand to offer his insight into urban regeneration from an architect’s point of view. His firm, which has been awarded this year’s European Prize for Architecture for promoting humanistic principles in its projects, has vast experience in transforming brownfield sites and creating friendlier suburban neighbourhoods. Its core principle is to use architecture to bring neighbours closer together. In Poland, the studio is currently working on a development plan for the historic Gdańsk Imperial Shipyard. Closing the speakers list is Lars Funding, the chairman of Urban Rigger, which is developing one of the most original residential concepts in Europe: the introduction in cities with waterfronts of residential and other buildings that stand on floating platforms. The system has been designed by contemporary star of the architectural world Bjarke Ingels.

This year’s debates are also to be attended by representatives of real estate developers involved in the transformation of Polish cities, including Marc Lebbe, the managing director of Liebrecht & Wood, and Nicklas Lindberg, the CEO of Echo Investment. Places + Spaces: ‘Recreating Neighbourhoods’ is being supported by Greenberg Traurig, Skanska, Colliers International, Cushman & Wakefield, Dentons, Echo Investment, Ghelamco, Globalworth, Hines and Vastint.

Visit https://poland.uli.org/events/detail/6AA20C77-6431-4237-875A-60DA5FF75035/ to learn more about Places + Spaces and register for the upcoming event.