BoardroomPR’s Public Relations team, including Vice Presidents Eric Kalis and Laura Burns, attended the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Florida Summit in Orlando on June 13-14. The annual event attracts hundreds of influential real estate developers, construction executives, brokers, architects and other industry professionals for networking and learning about the most important trends and issues facing the Sunshine State.

One of the summit’s highlights was a spirited discussion about “Rethinking Real Estate for a Multi-Modal Future,” with executives from Uber and autonomous vehicle startup Voyage Auto joining Kimley Horn Project Manager David Taxman and City of Orlando Smart City Project Director Michael Hess on the panel. Voyage Auto currently operates self-driving vehicles in The Villages® active adult community.

Key takeaways from the conversation include:

· The landscape of mobility is rapidly changing as millennial vehicle ownership declines and the desire to live in walkable cities increases

· Curbside is now a critically important “flex space” for cities and must be leveraged with different uses

· Florida is considered a particularly friendly state for autonomous vehicles, culminating in last week’s new state law that allows for self-driving cars to be tested without human safety drivers behind the wheel

· The City of Orlando is developing an “alternative transportation frequent flyer program” to further encourage mass transit use

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