ULI & HSBC: Reactivating Europe

Webinar Summary: In this joint ULI HSBC webinar, Professor Greg Clark, Global Head of Future Cities & New Industries at HSBC and Senior Fellow at the Urban Land Institute, will give a presentation on how European cities can take advantage of the substantial challenges being caused by the Covid-19 crisis. This will be followed by a discussion on the issues raised with the panel of experts of Nikki Grady-Smith, Senior Vice President of City & Corporate Integrated Solutions at BP, Guido Verhoef, Head of Private Real Estate at PGGM Investments and Andrea Carpenter, Director of Women Talk Real Estate.

The pandemic has revealed challenging social inequalities and triggered a significant economic shock. At the same time it has accelerated pre-existing technology trends and sustainability imperatives that have the potential to foster long term change. This provides real estate investors and operators with an adjusted geography of demand, and provides cities with a fresh imperative to be agile in new ways as citizens adjust to revised patterns of travel, work, homes, consumption, and lifestyle. Cities must adjust and adapt. They are already doing so with increased focus on healthy living, accelerated net-zero carbon strategies, active travel, re-organized public space, and more agile re-use of amenities and facilities.

Europe’s cities and real estate investors can take advantage from this crisis, and use it to foster cities and urban systems which are more resilient and sustainable, offering a new cycle of opportunity for investors and asset owners. What might that look like? Listen in on a fascinating and topical discussion followed by Q&A with the audience.