RALEIGH (November 13, 2013) —  The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Carolinas’ district councils of Charlotte, South Carolina and Triangle are pleased to announce a $15,000 ULI Urban Innovation Grant Award.  The ULI Carolinas grant will be used to support their January 2014 regional forum that will focus on rethinking and reorienting the future of southern communities from car- to people-oriented. The regional conference will address themes associated with shifting demographics, immigration, access to fresh, local food and innovative community design.

Announced on November 5^th at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Chicago, grants totaling $250,000 were awarded to seventeen district and national council recipients.

Funding for the program is provided by the ULI Foundation’s Annual Fund, which supports local ULI projects that recognize or launch innovative public-private partnerships that advance the responsible use of land in building healthy, thriving communities worldwide. Only ULI district and national councils are eligible to apply for grants, with awards ranging between $10,000 and $25,000.

According to Urban Innovation Grants Committee chairman, John H. Mays, managing partner, Gould & Ratner LLP, the grants help create laboratories for ideas in helping tackle the pressing issues facing communities. “The grant awards not only recognize new approaches in solving challenges at the local level, but they serve as a delivery system for innovative ULI ideas that have a lasting impact in creating sustaining and healthy communities,” said Mays.