Join us every month as ULI San Francisco members share their experiences and perspectives in this ever-changing world. Their views represent various real estate industry segments and delve into both professional and personal thoughts and ideas in this snapshot in time, and what positive opportunities can be found today, and in the future.

This time, we’ve asked our contributors to share their thoughts around three questions.

Meet this month’s contributors:

Xiomara Cisneros
Policy Director, Bay Area Council

Q: After the last three months have brought dramatic change, what have you reflected on both personally and professionally during this time?
I’m proud the Bay Area Council is revaluating our workplan and policy areas to address racial equity. I’m proud to volunteer for various organizations, like ULI, that are implementing changes to prioritize inclusivity and racial equity. As someone who focuses on housing, I’m aware that racism has played a central role in land use and real estate. I’m aware how housing stability and the surrounding community can determine the trajectory of someone’s life. For these reasons, I pursued my career in education, organizing, advocacy and policy reform in housing and land use. Childhood zipcode has major implications for future success. Health, access to services, quality of jobs, food, transportation, and probably most importantly, education, are largely determined by where one grows up. Finally, one can’t shelter in place without shelter in the first place. The lasting consequences of housing segregation and the public health crisis have a disproportionate impact on people of color. Although Black Californians make up only 5% of the population, they make up over 30% of our homeless population. Clearly, housing justice is racial justice.

Q: What has surprised you during this time?
The mix of responses to both the coronavirus and Black Lives Matter has shocked me. I’m disheartened when someone politicizes wearing a mask. I’m dismayed when they are more concerned about looting and protecting police rights, rather than the pent up anguish behind the protests, or the need for police reform.

Q: Where do you see the opportunities as we look to the future?
There is a collective admission that we as a society have failed our neighbors, our most vulnerable, and Black, indigenous and people of color. We’re pausing to reevaluate how we can have a bigger role in fighting racial injustice. As Americans, we’re constantly moving, multitasking, implementing — and the loud voices calling for change were drowned out. With shelter in place, we finally have a captive audience. We are willing to listen, accept our privilege, and challenge the status quo. I see this window of opportunity as a moment for us to enact systematic change that can start peeling away the vestiges of racism that permeate throughout our institutions and society.

Doug Abbey
Chairman, ULI Foundation

Q: After the last three months have brought dramatic change, what have you reflected on both personally and professionally during this time?
As we hit the pause button, we recognize what is important in life, which is distilled to being 24/7 with immediate family and that is about it except the grocery story clerk. For those of us married, it has been a good time to deepen our relationships. I empathize with those with young children trying to keep up, and even more so for single people who do not have companionship.

Q: What has surprised you during this time?
I am amazed at how we can keep our companies functioning remotely. I also observe we are treading water. We can maintain our companies but not grow them. We ache to be back together and let the creativity roll and culture blossom. As for office space, we have proved that you can work remotely. That may shrink demand. BUT for years we have witnessed densification of office space. Great for culture and communication and terrible for concentration. Studies show that decision making abilities decline with density. The pendulum is going back to less dense space so we can get some work done without being “bothered”.  After some choppy waters, I can see demand for office space increasing.

Kim Diamond
Principal, KDiamond Consulting

Q: After the last three months have brought dramatic change, what have you reflected on both personally and professionally during this time?
I have realized how precious life is and how grateful and privileged I am to have my work when so many are suffering financially and with grave health concerns. I have deepened my resolve and determination to make sure that the professional choices I make are aligned with my values and beliefs. This is not easy in the time that we are living, with so much uncertainty, but it is essential for me personally, for the industry, and for the world. I have also realized how much I really miss seeing my ULI friends and colleagues! How something as simple as giving someone a hug or a handshake at a ULI program and engaging in a conversation is energizing and provides me with inspiration and hope.

Q: What has surprised you during this time?
In this surreal existence that we are all living in, I am amazed by our collective strength, resiliency, and flexibility. I’m grateful that we are all determined to continue to convene and communicate with each other through dynamic and interactive programs and conversations (i.e., ULI SF’s Color of Law program). I am surprised and dismayed that the simple acts of wearing a mask and social distancing have become political acts, as opposed to a means of self-care and kindness towards others.

Jim Heid
Founder, UrbanGreen Inc.

Q: After the last three months have brought dramatic change, what have you reflected on both personally and professionally during this time?
Personally: Our daughter came home mid-semester and it’s the first time we had been able to be part of her daily routine since she left for boarding school in 9^th grade. It was a silver lining in the midst of all the uncertainty. We cooked meals together, played board games, hung out with her friends. It just felt like the small town we live in took a collective breath as we waited to see what would happen. I often felt that aside from the financial anxiety of not knowing what would happen to my business, it was a rare and wonderful gift.

Professionally: I had just opened my new club-working venture 60 days before SIP.  And we were racing along on vertical construction of my new cottage court project. So there was a lot of anxiety. As a ‘vision guy’, it was frustrating to not be able to see around the corner. I had to shift my focus to tactics and daily actions. It was a good lesson and I remember many a ULI panel where successful developers often said the best place to start a new venture is amidst a downturn – there is no where to go but up.

Q: What has surprised you during this time?
My favorite quote coming out of 2008 recession was crises don’t create trends, they accelerate them. The incredible uptake in technology adoption and remote working forced people to do things people could never find the time to do (or learn). During ‘re-opening’ balkanized regulations were changed overnight (i.e., new sidewalk seating, relaxed alcohol rules in public spaces, simplified credit card payments) after being told for years they were immovable. I hope they will endure post pandemic, as we all witness how they support a better sense of place/quality of life.

Q: Where do you see the opportunities as we look to the future?
There’s a new appreciation for social connection, and small, local businesses. The fear folks feel of being close to one another is only a survival strategy, not a long term way of life. Opportunities to engage with one another will roar back when it can — we’ll be ‘done’ with zoom, starved for conferences, and just a chance to see real people without their masks. While small businesses have been hammered at this time, communities came to realize how important they are to their identity, authenticity, and quality-of-life. We saw such outpouring of financial support directed to help meet payroll. It reinforced how important their survival is, and will help them rebound.