Throughout the semester, ULI members served as volunteer facilitators, reviewing and challenging the student teams as they prepared for their final development pitches to additional volunteers playing the role of the City Council.

The use of Zoom meetings allowed the ULI-trained volunteers—located in Indianapolis and elsewhere—to interact with the students virtually. For the first two-thirds of the semester, the students met on campus in small classes with masks. For the final presentation, students were located in their individual homes but connected by Zoom. Students also used an interactive site plan builder this year to supplement the Legos traditionally used in UrbanPlan.

ULI Indiana UrbanPlan co-chair Jenell Fairman, PE, LEED AP, Deputy Director of Carmel Redevelopment Commission, said introducing UrbanPlan to students is an opportunity to present the economics and urban planning demands of real estate development to designers early in their career paths.

“So often designers have a limited view of the costs of the work they are producing, or how a building project truly interacts with the surrounding community. In addition, often the wishes of stakeholders compete with one another or are not financially viable,” Fairman said. “Pairing site planning, financial analysis, and market needs with the wishes of various stakeholders is a great exercise that prompts discussions about what is best for a community to achieve its goals.”

Fairman noted that the UrbanPlan experience doesn’t just benefit the students.

“Bringing experienced developers and designers into the UrbanPlan experience with students is a mutually beneficial experience,” she said. “The students grow from the thoughtful questions that are asked by the facilitators, and the seasoned professionals gain new perspectives from students who have fresh ideas that often are not dampened by financial or logistical constraints. Many of the answers the students provided helped me think about development from an entirely different perspective.”

“The students seemed to have a good grasp on the overall process and appreciated hearing an outside professional’s perspective and questions,” added M.J. Meneley, PLA, ASLA, Principal, Hitchcock Design Group and UrbanPlan volunteer. “UrbanPlan helped the students view the project through the eyes of a particular user, which brings out more well-rounded ideas. In addition, students learned how to stand behind their decisions in a challenging scenario where there is no right or wrong answer.”

BSU’s Department of Urban Planning will offer UrbanPlan again in the Spring semester.

“This program is an exciting way to introduce ULI as an organization and connect students with leaders in the profession,” Truex said. “The support we received from ULI leadership and its members was outstanding. We’re thankful to Jennifer Milliken, ULI Indiana Senior Director; Adam Thies, District Council Chair; and all the members who volunteered their time.”