Carol Coletta Named Winner of 2025 ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development
WASHINGTON – RealEstateRama – The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has selected Carol Coletta as the recipient of the 2025 ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, the most prestigious and respected honor in the land use and development community. The award recognizes Coletta’s lifelong commitment to shaping inclusive, vibrant, and equitable cities through innovative public spaces and civic partnerships.
The ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development was established in 2000 through a gift from the Miller Nichols Living Trust and the Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation to the ULI Foundation to honor visionaries who are deeply committed to creating high-quality built environments that improve people’s lives.
Recent laureates have included the pioneer of environmental justice, Robert Bullard; founding principal and partner of Studio Gang, architect Jeanne Gang; New York urban planner Jonathan Rose; Mayor Anthony Williams; Boston transportation entrepreneur Robin Chase, among others.
Carol Coletta has spent her career uniting public and private partners to create more inclusive and vibrant public spaces. As President and CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership from 2017 to 2024, she led more than $100 million in riverfront improvements, including the award-winning Tom Lee Park, now recognized as a national model for inclusive design. Her career also includes leadership roles at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and, currently, as a Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Public Innovation. A longtime urbanist and storyteller, she hosted the nationally syndicated public radio show Smart City for nine years, interviewing global leaders in urbanism, the arts, and business. She has been named among Planetizen’s Top 100 Urbanists.
“Carol Coletta was selected for her unwavering belief that great cities start with great public spaces and that lasting transformation happens when communities are involved in shaping that change,” said Lisa Switkin, ULI Prize jury chair and partner at Field Operations. “Her leadership reflects the best of ULI. Carol has shown how design, policy, and civic engagement can come together to turn vision into action, creating places that foster connection, pride, and opportunity. Her work continues to inspire urban leaders everywhere to reimagine what’s possible for the public realm.”
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award, which underscores the importance of creating places of belonging that reflect local voices and stories,” said Carol Coletta. “Our goal is to help shared assets reach their full potential. I hope this recognition shines a light on the creative processes that happens before any shovel hits the ground and continues long after the ribbon is cut. I look forward to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in urban development, ensuring our communities are resilient, equitable, and joyful places to live.”
“Carol’s work has long been admired by the ULI community of real estate practitioners and urban development professionals,” said Marc Gould, ULI Americas president. “Her expertise highlights what cities need most right now: bold leaders who understand that transformative public spaces require more than beautiful design; they demand persistence, deeper community connections, and a willingness to challenge conventional approaches. By honoring Carol with the ULI Prize, we invite her to share these insights with our global network, fostering collaboration and advancing the innovative, inclusive approaches to placemaking that will help strengthen communities across the country.”
The 2025 ULI Prize jury was chaired by Lisa Switkin, partner at Field Operations, New York. In addition to Switkin, jury members included Winka Dubbeldam, director and CEO of SCI-Arc, Los Angeles; Michael Phillips, chairman and president of Jamestown, Atlanta; Amy Price, co-president of BGO, San Francisco; and Mitchell Silver, principal of Mitchell J. Silver, Raleigh, N.C.
Read Carol Coletta’s full interview with Urban Land magazine here.
