World Expo 2010 left Shanghai with prime riverfront land and infrastructure. This route shows how those assets are being transformed into a major cultural and ecological park anchored by the new Shanghai Opera House and surrounding mixed uses. The tour highlights landscape-led planning, integration of cultural venues with everyday public space, and how a global event site can become a long-term city asset.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Walk through one of Shanghai’s fastest-rising CBDs where a new cluster of supertalls meets a fully opened-up waterfront. From Raffles City North Bund to the riverfront promenade, this tour showcases how vertical mixed-use towers, public open space, and transit links are being woven together into a next-generation financial district facing Lujiazui across the water.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Once a historic water-town, Panlong has been transformed into a walkable lifestyle district while preserving its lanes, canals, and village fabric. This tour looks at how Shui On Land has integrated heritage buildings, boutique retail, food & beverage, and residential into a cohesive 15-minute community connected to the Hongqiao hub, balancing local memory with new urban life.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Vlinker Pujiang Park Community is a large-scale youth rental project that combines affordability, sustainability, and a strong sense of community. A short walk from Metro Line 8 and next to Pujiang Country Park, it adopts a 'campus' concept across 5,500+ fully furnished units and shared spaces such as study lounges, gyms, and communal kitchens. Delegates will see how LEED O+M precertification, average monthly rents around RMB 2,000, and a “senior mentorship” mechanism, clubs, and NGO partnerships together create an active, self-organising community and a replicable model for youth-focused rental housing in Shanghai.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

An interactive and facilitated dialogue series of up to 9 themes designed to spark open, high-energy exchange on evolving urban issues through rotating participant-led conversations.

Join WLI for a luncheon that champions women’s leadership in real estate and offers a unique space for peer learning and meaningful connection.

The forum stands as the marquee gathering for ULI’s investment community, offering sharp insights into emerging opportunities across Asia Pacific and unpacking the trends driving real estate investment today. It offers in-depth analysis and strategic discussion which will inform your investment approach in 2026 and beyond.

2.00pm  Introduction

2.05pm  Market Status Presentation
An expert update on real estate capital markets in the Asia Pacific region.

2.30pm  LP Panel Discussion
Leading investors discuss their preferred Asia Pacific markets, sectors and investment strategies.

3.10pm  Opportunities in the Middle East
Not just a source of capital, the Middle East is now an investment destination, with the world’s most ambitious projects.

3.50pm  Networking break

4.10pm  Green Shoots—Is Now The Time to Buy in China?
Looking at emerging positive trends: markets, asset types and the growing C-REIT sector.

4.50pm  Fireside Chat: Innovation in The Living Sector
What is the latest thinking on this new favourite for investors in Asia Pacific real estate?

5.20pm  GP Panel Discussion
A panel of Asia Pacific real estate investment managers discusses their favoured sectors, themes and strategies.

6.00pm  Summary and Wrap Up

Widely recognised as one of the real estate industry's most prestigious competitions, this year’s winners represent the highest standards of development practice in the region’s private, public, and non-profit sectors. Meet the outstanding winners of the 2026 ULI Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence and celebrate their exemplary work which will inspire our industry.

Applications accepted until 13 March 2026. LEARN MORE

The Future Leaders Forum convenes the next generation of built environment leaders for a fast-paced exchange on the forces shaping urban growth and value—how cities perform, and how people experience them—now and next, alongside high-impact peer networking.

2.30pm  Opening remarks

2.35pm  Keynote Address: From Online Buzz to Offline Footfall: How Social Media is Reshaping Physical Commerce
This keynote shows how social media is actively shaping commercial real estate performance—driving site selection, tenant mix, footfall, and long-term asset relevance in China’s social-first, experience-led market.

3.00pm  Panel Discussion: Clicks to Bricks: Social Media and the Future of Commercial Assets
How social media is converting online attention into real-world footfall and reshaping how retail and mixed-use assets are planned and activated.

3.45pm  Panel Discussion: Embedding Culture into Commercial Properties' DNA
This panel shows how culture drives commercial and hospitality value by shaping identity, experience, and long-term performance.

4.15pm  Fireside Chat: Creating Places People Love—And Keep Coming Back To
This fireside chat explores how community, culture, and human-first design create places people return to—building loyalty and long-term value beyond footfall.

4.50pm  Closing remarks

Hosted by:

Stroll the Bund at dusk and watch a century of Shanghai unfold. This gentle walk highlights the Bund’s iconic Art Deco and early 20th-century architecture, paired with city stories and photo moments along the Huangpu River. Hosted by AIA.

Registration for this experience will open in April.

Discover Shanghai through its flavours on a compact food walk linking classic street snacks. Participants will also try making xiao long bao hands-on. Hosted by Chongbang Group.

Registration for this experience will open in April.

Explore Xintiandi and step inside INS, Shanghai’s most talked-about vertical nightlife complex. This curated visit looks at how a single building can anchor a new model of immersive, youth-driven night economy. Hosted by Shui On Land and INS.

Registration for this experience will open in April.

Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, AI-related stocks have accounted for 75 percent of the S&P 500’s returns, according to JP Morgan. Apps based on large language models have become ubiquitous, as have concerns over an AI bubble, data security and AI's effect on work. A leading light in the field walks us through the key topics and into the future, considering who is winning the AI race, does this matter? What comes after LLMs? How can real estate position itself for the future?

Generative AI is already hitting white collar hiring and few office jobs means lower demand for office space. Global firms will no longer need thousands of office staff, when a few hundred AI-augmented workers can do everything. Millions of square feet of office space will become redundant. Or will it? This interactive debate will present the House with arguments in favour of and against AI as a fatal transformer of the office market.

Tariffs dominated discussions in 2025 but investors and regional supply chains have largely digested their effects. Now a new stage appears to have begun in US foreign policy, which has caused concerns across the globe. Will Asia Pacific be a relatively safe haven, or will events elsewhere destabilise our region? Has the attention of the US turned elsewhere? How will this affect your business?

The widespread adoption of EVs in China is leading to changes in the way cities behave and will change how they are developed in future. The growth of AI and autonomous vehicles will accelerate this transformation. Learn what is happening in China, the EV early adopter nation, and what this means for cities around the region.

Asia Pacific faces two main challenges in housing: affordability and ageing populations. Can housing projects and districts help meet both these challenges, as well as build community and liveability in the region's cities? Rather than stratifying by age, planners and developers are increasingly considering projects which bring generations together. This panel will discuss case studies, best practice and opportunities in housing which caters to a broad age range. Including a 5-minute scene-setter of the ULI Home Attainability Index 2026.

Designed to raise awareness amongst young people in creating better communities, the ULI Hines Student Competition Asia Pacific encourages future land-use professionals for collaboration, innovation, and creativity. Meet the region’s competition champions and hear their fresh perspectives on future urban development.

Data centres were tipped to be the best performing real estate sector in the Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2026 report. Hyperscalers are doubling down on AI, driving unprecedented data centre demand across the region. How can real estate players benefit from this trillion-dollar opportunity? This expert panel will consider the potential growth, the best investment models and the land, sustainability and infrastructure hurdles facing data centres in Asia Pacific.

Most significant asset owners have a long-term plan for decarbonisation in place, however the changing climate is running ahead of their pathways. This expert panel will consider the best strategies for climate change adaptation at the asset and portfolio level. What do asset owners need to protect, change or sell?

This panel brings together major capital allocators to examine where capital is flowing and how investors are balancing risk and return in a challenging environment. Where does real estate stand in institutional portfolios? Which regions, nations and cities are attracting investment? Does the interest rate environment support real estate? Will an AI stock bubble bursting spoil the tentative global recovery?

Join a scenic run through Qiantan and experience the city’s energy and waterfront public realm. Hosted by ULI Runners.

Positioned as Shanghai’s ‘2.5 CBD’, Qiantan is planned around wellness, lifestyle, and public space as much as commerce. Through a masterplan briefing and visits to Qiantan Taikoo Li and Crystal Plaza, delegates will see how offices, retail streets, housing, parks, and the riverfront are woven into a dense yet human-scaled district with a strong emphasis on everyday well-being.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

A unique city tour in a century-old Shikument. At projects such as INLET, participants will see how courtyards, rooflines, materials, and public realms draw from traditional motifs while serving contemporary office, retail, and community functions, creating a quieter cultural counterpoint to the neighbouring skyline.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Crystal Bridge is a new mixed-use landmark in Shanghai’s Changning District, developed by Tishman Speyer with Xinchangning Group and Mitsubishi Estate. The 250,000-square-metre complex features five Grade-A office towers and a lifestyle retail podium, linked by skybridges, rooftop gardens, and an outdoor amphitheatre to form a three-dimensional “garden workplace.” Sitting directly atop the Line 2 and 15 metro interchange and connecting to the Hongqiao hub, it is emerging as a key business gateway and everyday destination in west Shanghai.

Registration for this tour will open in April.

Step beyond the conference hall and experience China's AI and robotics momentum—up close, hands-on, and in context. Join fellow ULI members for an immersive post-Summit tour in Hangzhou, one of China's most dynamic innovation hubs, where cutting-edge technology and centuries of culture sit side by side.

This curated programme offers in-depth visits to leading AI and robotics players—with opportunities to see real-world applications, product demos, and hear directly from practitioners shaping deployment at scale.

To round out the experience, enjoy a scenic cultural programme across one of China’s most historic and beautiful cities, and enjoy postcard-worthy sunset views.

LEARN MORE