Boston, MA According to the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Boston/New England, its Living Better: Regenerative Design for People and Environment project has been honored with a ULI District Council 2025 Showcase of Excellence Award in the category of “Best Program Addressing Creative and Sustainable Best Practices for Thriving People, Places, and Buildings.” This accolade recognizes the project’s groundbreaking approach to rethinking how communities can redesign systems to create net positives while tackling the wide range of political, social, and economic challenges that climate change presents.

Building on the success of previous research initiatives, including ‘Living with Water’ and ‘Living with Heat,’ which explored adaptive strategies for urban communities facing rising sea levels and extreme temperatures due to climate change, the ULI Boston/New England Climate Resiliency Committee’s regenerative design project focused on the Lower Mystic River Watershed, which includes historically underserved communities such as Chelsea and Everett, and is at the frontline of environmental vulnerability. ULI’s approach through this program offers a promising path forward that addresses both ecological restoration and social equity.

“This regenerative design project underscores ULI’s commitment to promoting cutting-edge best practices in land use, reimagining how communities and regions can navigate the impacts of climate change and create stronger ecosystems,” said Catherine Rollins, director of ULI Boston/New England. “This award validates our efforts and encourages us to continue creating transformative change, enabling communities to thrive as part of resilient ecosystems.”

The ULI Americas District Council Awards spotlight the exceptional efforts made by district councils to advance the institute’s mission of creating and sustaining thriving communities globally. District councils, as integral proponents of ULI’s mission and work, carry out initiatives in cities and towns in their respective regions through the dedicated efforts of their members ULI Boston’s regenerative design project stands out for its innovative ability to establish a framework which restores and revitalizes ecosystems while also strengthening social, economic, and community resilience

The program kicked off with a full-day workshop with over 40 members, experts, and stakeholders. With the curation of business case studies through interdisciplinary collaboration, design strategies were developed to evaluate local watershed and community development. In addition, these strategies aim to advance dialogue in the built environment about regenerative design and demonstrate ways to apply this emerging approach to design and development. A report is expected to be released later this year