ULI Spain Brings Together Leading Global Experts in Real Estate and Urban Regeneration at IE University

Tomorrow, Madrid will become the epicentre of sustainable urban development with the third edition of the ULI Spain Annual Conference, hosted in collaboration with IE University. This new edition of the professional forum will explore the most innovative proposals for city-making, the macroeconomic consequences of the current political landscape, and the creation and management of affordable housing.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a global, non-profit organisation comprising over 45,000 professionals from the real estate and urban development sectors. Under the chairmanship of Jorge Pérez de Leza, the Spanish branch of this esteemed research and knowledge institute will convene the most influential professionals in the industry at IE University’s Madrid campus. The aim: to tackle key issues shaping the future of the built environment and foster transformative impact on communities worldwide. “The ULI Spain Annual Conference 2025 is designed as a professional meeting point around sustainable development, innovation, and city-making, bringing together stakeholders from the private, academic, and public sectors. We’re proud of the exceptional response, with a rich programme of themes and speakers balanced between international and local perspectives, making this forum a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange,” says Jorge Pérez de Leza, Chair of ULI Spain.

The conference brings together over 300 professionals—developers, investors, managers, urban planners, architects, public officials, and other real estate leaders—for a day of keynote presentations and expert panels featuring both global and local thought leaders. Opening remarks will be led by Jorge Pérez de Leza, Chair of ULI Spain, and David Goodman, Dean of the IE School of Architecture & Design at IE University, with moderation by Andrea Carpenter, co-founder and Director of Diversity Talks Real Estate.

The opening session will be delivered by Filippo Taddei, Chief Economist for Goldman Sachs Europe, who will share insights on the macroeconomic environment amidst the current geopolitical complexities, particularly the impact of U.S. trade policies on the global economy.

The second session will explore how major global cities are addressing access to housing, featuring a case study from Steve Adler, former Mayor of Austin, Texas (2015–2023), in conversation with Cristina Mateo, Vice Dean of the IE School of Architecture & Design. During his tenure, Adler led initiatives to increase affordable housing supply across diverse user profiles, championed residential projects and urban densification, and drove a $250 million housing bond in 2018. Under his leadership, the “Pioneering Affordable Housing Preservation in Austin” project won the ULI Global Award for Excellence. It was the first U.S. initiative to combine a non-profit investment manager (Affordable Central Texas) with an open-ended private equity fund focused on long-term affordability.

The next session will delve into lessons from three of Europe’s largest urban regeneration projects. John Mulqueen (Chief Investment Officer, Canary Wharf), Aldo Mazzocco (CEO & General Manager, Generali Real Estate and developer of Milan CityLife), and Miguel Hernández (Strategy Director, Crea Madrid Nuevo Norte) will discuss the challenges and success factors in London, Milan, and Madrid. Their reflections on the size, significance, and timelines of these developments will offer insights into the complexities of long-term urban planning.

Affordable Housing

As part of the residential market analysis, the third session of the ULI Spain Conference 2025 will focus on international perspectives on Spain’s “living” sector and specifically on affordable housing. Insights from Benjamin Ruether (Head of Fund Management, Catella Investment Management GmbH), Javier Rodríguez Heredia (Real Estate Lead, Azora Investment Management Spain), David Martínez (CEO, AEDAS Homes), and Peter Denton (Board Member, Places for People—the UK’s largest affordable housing provider) will address investor trust, value propositions, and best practices in managing large-scale affordable housing.

The fifth session will cover data centres—one of the real estate sector’s fastest-emerging asset classes. Key industry players including Ismael Clemente (CEO, Merlin Properties), Mikael Hesselval (Business Development Director, Areim DC Fund), and Richard Redstone (Director, Blue Owl European Data Centres Council) will discuss the sector’s growth drivers, energy demands, and innovative strategies.

Retail futurist Howard Saunders will also speak, offering expert forecasts on trends reshaping the retail landscape. 

The day will conclude with the Pedro de Churruca Awards, presented by ULI Spain’s Advisory Council. These awards recognise outstanding contributions to urban and real estate development, aligned with ULI’s mission to improve social outcomes in cities.

About ULI

Founded in the U.S. in 1936, the Urban Land Institute has active councils in Madrid and Barcelona, comprising over 500 members. Its mission is to shape the future of the real estate and built environment sectors, creating transformative community impact and enhancing urban life. It brings together companies, public and private institutions, and academia across the industry.

For this event, ULI has the support of key players and cultural entities from the sector including IE University (main contributor); Gold sponsors Merlin Properties and Stoneshield; Silver sponsors Aedas Homes, Crea Madrid Nuevo Norte, and UN Studio; and Bronze sponsors Azora, Hines, Metrovacesa, Mutua, Savills, and The District. People partners include CBRE, Deloitte, and PwC.

ULI Spain Annual Conference Participants

Participants on 13 May at IE University will include Jorge Pérez de Leza, David Goodman, Filippo Taddei, Benjamin Ruether, Javier Rodríguez Heredia, David Martínez, Steve Adler, Miguel Hernández, Aldo Mazzocco, Cristina Mateo, John Mulqueen, Adolfo Ramírez-Escudero, Mikael Hesselval, Richard Redstone, and Ismael Clemente, among others.

The ULI Spain Annual Conference 2025 will focus on addressing global urban challenges—responsible urbanism, Spain’s international real estate outlook, emerging asset classes like data centres, and the development and management of affordable housing—all increasingly relevant in today’s context. The programme also includes analysis of macroeconomic implications of the current geopolitical scenario, retail sector challenges, and urban planning lessons from flagship projects.