For the second year in a row, I had the great fortune of leading high school students from Summit Atlas in Seattle, Washington, as they stepped into the shoes of real estate professionals and tackled the complex realities of urban redevelopment through the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) prestigious Urban Plan exercise.
Over an intensive two-week workshop, guided by instructors including Lori Summers, Ray Dubicki, Terry Galiney, Doug Larson, and many others, students took on professional roles such as neighborhood liaison, marketing manager, financial advisor, sustainability lead, and planning director. Working in teams, they developed redevelopment proposals for the fictional City of Yorktown.
The students were also fortunate to learn from industry leaders, including John Ales from the University of Washington’s Runstad Center for Real Estate and Caroline Herre of the Seattle Housing Authority. Site visits to Seattle’s High Point and Yesler Terrace neighborhoods allowed students to connect classroom learning with real-world redevelopment challenges and opportunities.
The program culminated with student teams presenting their innovative visions for the Elmwood neighborhood to a “City Council” composed of ULI industry volunteers. The creativity, professionalism, and thoughtfulness on display were truly inspiring.
I am deeply grateful to the Urban Land Institute (ULI) for developing this impactful simulation program, to Summit Atlas for providing these vital experiential learning opportunities, and to the many dedicated industry professionals who volunteered their time to mentor and support these students.
The experience clearly sparked interest in real estate and urban development careers among many participants. The future of our cities is in excellent hands.
Author’s Note
This blog is written by Blueprint’s Washington Executive Director, James Heugas, who led the Urban Plan program and worked closely with students, educators, and industry partners throughout the experience.
