ULI Chicago members, John Mays and Pete Tortorello, acted as the “City Council” for the concluding session of UrbanPlan at DePaul University last week.  They listened to student presentations, challenged their proposals as a typical city council would, and awarded the development contract to the winning student development team, Urban Design Group, Inc., for their Elmwood Centre concept. Their vision centered around a new urbanist approach: balancing strategic historic preservation with urban infill of new mixed-use development and greenspace and attracting artists, young professionals and emerging retail tenants to support revitalization. The team’s redevelopment plan successfully addressed the fictitious City of Yorkville’s RFP requirements and provided viable finance, marketing, and community development strategies.

UrbanPlan is designed to move students from a theoretical and ideological understanding of land use to the practical realities and demands of the development team and process.

Learn more about UrbanPlan