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City to Host Urban Land Institute Panel in July to Advise on Post-storm Economic Recovery
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Summary
City staff said the Urban Land Institute (ULI) will hold an on-site advisory panel the week of July 28 to help shape an economic recovery strategy focused on industry resilience, land-use in flood hazard areas and public investment in riverfront infrastructure; staff will return to the committee with integration plans in August–September.
Nikki (city staff member) told the Environment, Planning and Economic Development (PEDE) committee that the Urban Land Institute advisory panel will be on-site in late July to help craft part of the city’s economic recovery strategy following recent storms. The panel will hold a public meet-and-greet on Monday, July 28, 5:00–7:30 p.m. in front of Harrah’s Cherokee Center and will present findings publicly on Friday, August 1 at 9:30 a.m.; both events will be live streamed.
The city asked ULI to focus on four areas: industry resilience and diversification (with attention to Asheville’s tourism and hospitality sectors), economic mobility and revitalization of under-resourced neighborhoods, land-use and private development policy in flood hazard areas, and public investments such as riverfront parks and stormwater infrastructure. “Urban Land Institute’s advisory panel services have often come to communities that have experienced natural disasters and provided some immediate aid in developing strategic framework,” Nikki said.
Staff described public touchpoints tied to the ULI work: the July meet-and-greet, a week of on-site work culminating in the Aug. 1 presentation, and subsequent committee briefings to digest and prioritize ULI recommendations. Steph (city staff member) said the July 28 public session will include a “what we heard” wall summarizing feedback collected on AshevilleRecovers.org and via business associations, a community thank-you card in advance of the storm’s one-year anniversary, and a short “speed-dating” format to let members of the public sign up for three-minute slots with panelists.
Committee members pressed staff on next steps and how ULI recommendations will be integrated. Nikki and other staff said they will work with the EPED/PEDE committee over August and September to fold ULI advice into a living economic recovery plan rather than a final, one-off strategy. Staff also flagged parallel work: CDBG-Doctor program guidelines, small-business focus groups with partners such as Mountain BizWorks and the Chamber, and place-based charrettes (for example, River Arts District) that may produce items coming back to the committee.
No formal committee vote was taken on the ULI engagement itself; staff said they would return to the committee in August and September with progress reports and with recommended next steps for integrating the panel’s findings.
