LONDON (2 July 2018) — Hala El Akl, Director at PLP Architecture, has been appointed as the next Chair of the ULI Europe Young Leaders Group. El Akl officially began her term on 1 July 2018 and will serve for the next two years.

One of El Akl’s priorities as chair of the ULI Europe Young Leaders Group is to create more opportunities for Young Leaders to showcase their innovative ideas. “As the new chair, my guiding concern will be to develop ways of capturing the energy and intelligence of the Young Leaders and enhancing the channels for broadcasting their ideas to the wider membership,” said El Akl.

El Akl plans to focus on the themes of emerging technologies, disruptive urbanism, and sustainability. “The role of emerging technologies in design and construction is changing the way we create, build and operate,” said El Akl. “This is an important issue for young members of the profession as they adapt to and influence these cultural shifts”.

“Likewise, adaptations in social organisation and disruptive forms of urbanism are influencing the way we live in cities. Our relationship to homes, the workplace and public amenities is changing. Young people are experiencing first-hand the housing crisis in many major cities and will influence how we help to solve it.

The ideas of young professionals will be crucial in understanding future trends and ambitions for developing a more sustainable and healthier urbanism.”

“Hala’s enthusiasm for ULI’s mission and her knowledge about key urban trends will make her an excellent fit for this role,” said Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe. “I look forward to working with her to further energise the ULI Europe Young Leaders Group.”

El Akl succeeds Clarissa Alfrink, Head of Business Development at Apleona Real Estate  Management. El Akl has been a member of ULI for 5 years. She currently chairs the ULI UK Urban Art Forum.

El Akl is a founding director of PLPLabs, the technological and conceptual research group at PLP Architecture. She has over ten years’ experience of commercial, residential, retail and master planning projects in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Prior to receiving her MSc in Urban Planning at London School of Economics, Hala graduated with a master’s degree in Stratégies Territoriales et Urbaines from Sciences Po in Paris and has both a Bachelor of Architecture (distinction) and Sociology from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit 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 over 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. ULI has almost 3,500 members in Europe across 14 National Council country networks. For more information, please visit europe.uli.org, follow us on Twitter, or follow our LinkedIn page.