On June 17, ULI Italy hosted an evening of lectures and discussion on the topic of affordable housing and urban regeneration from an international perspective. The event was held at the Fondazione Riccardo Catella in Milan. Its aim was to bring together prominent representatives of both the academic and the business sides of the international real estate community to discuss one of ULI’s most significant areas of interest.

The event focused on two specific issues that are on the agenda of public authorities as well as private investors: finding a sustainable solution to the growing shortage of affordable housing and regenerating existing building stock without consuming green areas.

The first speaker was John McIllwain, Senior Resident Fellow for Housing at ULI in Washington, DC. McIlwain has more than 35 years of experience in the fields of housing, housing investment, and the development of sustainable urban environments and leads ULI’s research efforts on these issues. He offered his thoughts on affordable housing solutions in the United States.

Professor Alessandro Balducci, Vice Rector of the Milan Politecnico, followed McIlwain with a comparison between European and Italian experience in the area, with a special focus on planning and designing affordable housing developments.

The topic was then debated by the panel, which included some of the finest industry experts in Italy: Manfredi Catella (CEO of Hines Italia), Davide Albertini Petroni (CEO of Risanamento SGR S.p.A)and Marco Sangiorgio (CEO of CDP Investimenti SGR). The panel was moderated by Giancarlo Scotti, CEO of Generali Real Estate.