Last week, the Urban Land Institute’s Spring conference in Philadelphia came to a close. Several Southern Land Company experts, including Dustin Downey, took part in some of the great conversations that took place at the event.

The conference generated interesting write-ups about several topics important to Southern Land Company, from national trends to Philadelphia-centric issues.

Our company is heavily invested in the Philadelphia area, given our 3601 Market property and our new mixed-used residential building at 1911 Walnut Street, located in the heart of Philadelphia’s thriving City Center.

According to ULI:

“New high rises will bring thousands of apartments and condos to downtown Philadelphia over the next year, adding to the neighborhood of offices, restaurants, and concert halls that has grown in Center City over the last 20 years. Each part of the mixed-use district supports the other parts.”

The recent boost in development in Philadelphia is a result of optimism, says Carl Dranoff, president and founder of Dranoff Properties, who wrote an opinion piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

He writes:

“Today’s Philadelphia is a testament to the optimists. Its renaissance has been made possible by architects, developers, and funders whose imaginations set off major evolutions. It happened by way of a democratic process hashed out in the public eye by city planners and civic leaders, and spurred on by elected officials who bravely eschewed criticism to secure public investments.”

Beyond Philadelphia, the event touched on hot-button real-estate issues including affordable housing, big data in architecture and transportation. At Southern Land Company, we’re interested in how conversations such as these manifest in the real world to create beautiful communities that improve residents’ quality of life.