"Developing exemplary projects that stand out from the crowd is the best way to find a competitive edge in a down real estate market," states Theodore C. Thoerig, author of ULI's new publication, Best Practices in Development 2008. The book contains detailed profiles of 38 award-winning real estate projects from across the United States and around the world. Practitioners seeking ways to create unique projects that outshine the competition will find ULI's Best Practices in Development 2008 an indispensible guide.

The 38 projects are recipients or finalists of ULI's Awards of Excellence, including the five recently announced 2008 Global Awards for Excellence. The 2008 global award winners are Adidas Village, Portland, Oregon; National Ballet School of Canada/Radio City, Toronto, Canada; Kraanspoor, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Beijing Finance Street, Beijing, China; and Tokyo Midtown, Tokyo, Japan.

Recognized as the development community's most prestigious awards, the program honors the full development process, not just architecture and design. "Although architecture and design are important, ULI also considers a project's financial viability, resourceful use of land, relevance to contemporary issues, and sensitivity to the community and environment," notes Thoerig.

ULI's holistic approach to recognizing quality projects provides practitioners with solid examples. The wide-range of product types and the broad geographic locations of the projects showcased in the book offer the reader guidance on diverse developments. They range from the redevelopment of a cultural landmark in Chicago to an elegant 37-story headquarters building in Abu Dhabi and a national initiative to privatize the renovation and construction of U.S. military housing.

With the inclusion of each project's development story, information on the professional team, project data, the jury statement, and illustrious photographs, the profiles provide the details that explain how to make a project stand out from its competitors. The projects are divided into four categories: commercial, mixed-use, residential/planned community, and civic.

Best Practices in Development 2008: ULI Award Winning Projects (ISBN: 978-0-87420-110-9; Urban Land Institute, 2008) is available everywhere books are sold, and through the Urban Land Institute at www.uli.org or by calling 1-800-321-5011. The price is $69.95. For a review copy, book cover art, or additional information, contact Peggy Meehan at [email protected] or at 202-486-8757.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 38,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.