(22 March 2018, Hong Kong) How cities are dealing with change will be the major topic of conversation at this year’s ULI Asia Pacific Summit in Hong Kong with urbanist thought leader Dr. Richard Florida giving the keynote speech at the real estate industry’s premier event in the region. Decision makers from all sectors of the real estate industry, thinkers and tech innovators will be in Asia’s World City from June 5-7 to share ideas and make new connections in a city world famous for its striking – and changing – urban landscape.
Hong Kong, a city that blends density, urban mobility, and green spaces, has thrived in a world of change throughout its history thanks to its people’s famous entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to innovate. This history makes the city an ideal venue for the summit which is themed Leadership in the Age of Disruption. A long-time provocateur and urban development expert, Richard Florida’s new book THE NEW URBAN CRISIS – How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class — and What We Can Do About It, focuses on what the creative class’s emergence, and the decline of the middle class, have done to cities.
“It’s not just business as usual for our industry. But with disruption comes opportunity, and by embracing what is happening around the world we can continue to thrive. The summit in Hong Kong will showcase solutions and deliver a content-rich experience that highlights innovation and creativity,” said ULI Asia Pacific Chairman Dr. Ngee Huat Seek.
The summit will showcase Hong Kong through a variety of thought-provoking study tours that will illustrate successful and sustainable high density living and transit orientated developments. Hong Kong is an ideal place to consider the future as by 2030 the city is likely to become a fully integrated part of the Pearl River Delta, a single urban area encompassing cities including Shenzhen and Guangzhou among others with a combined population that could reach 80 million people. Hong Kong is also certain to benefit from the opportunities presented by China’s new Belt and Road Initiative.
The summit’s host committee is chaired by ULI Asia Pacific founding member Raymond Chow, Executive Director of Hongkong Land. “We are delighted the summit is returning to Hong Kong. The city is at the forefront of many of the challenges and changes affecting cities in this era of rapid transformation, and we are excited to show delegates the ways that Hong Kong is meeting the challenge,” Chow said.
Throughout the summit thought leaders, both in and out of the industry, will explore how cities need to adapt to changes such as aging demographics, a massive influx of new arrivals and the need for increased density. Together the summit will convene tech innovators and inspirational speakers to engage with the issues of how to make cities more efficient, transparent and sustainable and which increase the quality of life of their residents. “The summit will
bring together members to discuss issues in engaging formats to contribute, learn and take home real value,” said John Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of ULI Asia Pacific.
2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the opening of ULI’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong, and the summit provides a chance to look back and celebrate the organization’s achievements and thank its long-term supporters for their collaboration over the past decade.
Hong Kong was the natural choice for this year’s summit which is being held in the city for the second time. As a key global gateway city located within five hours’ flying time from half the world’s population, the event is highly accessible to the wider ULI community. The city’s excellent infrastructure and famed efficiency saw Hong Kong topping the world for sustainable transport in Arcadis’ 2017 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index. The city is also at the forefront of real estate investment: Hong Kong climbed up the rankings as a potential investment market, rising from 18th to 13th place, according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2018 report published by ULI and PwC.
Registration for the 2018 ULI Asia Pacific Summit is now open. To register, please go to apacsummit.uli.org.