Designing Resilience, Equity & Place — Reflections from the Urban Land Institute 2025 Fall Meeting in San Francisco

Last week, I joined more than 5,000 urban development leaders, investors, and designers at the Urban Land Institute’s 2025 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, held at Moscone West. For three days, @uliglobal turned the Bay Area into a living classroom — offering field tours, case studies, and conversations that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in resilient, inclusive, and human-centered design.

I left deeply inspired and with a renewed sense of purpose for how we at Moya Design Partners (MOYA) approach every project we touch.

Day 1 — Waterfront Reinvention at Mission Rock

Day 1 began with a visit to Mission Rock, the 28-acre neighborhood redefining San Francisco’s southern waterfront. Developed by Tishman Speyer, the San Francisco Giants, and the Port of San Francisco, Mission Rock demonstrates what happens when sustainability, equity, and design excellence converge.

Key takeaways:

  • Climate-resilient infrastructure: The development integrates a bay-water exchange system that heats and cools buildings, cutting emissions while conserving water.
  • Public-private partnership at scale: Collaboration among developers, city agencies, and community stakeholders ensures growth aligns with long-term environmental goals.
  • Equitable urbanism: Nearly 40% affordable housing and eight acres of public parks position Mission Rock as a model for inclusive waterfront development in an era of rising seas.

For MOYA, this tour reaffirmed our belief that resilience isn’t an add-on — it’s a foundation. From master planning to architecture, sustainability has to shape every decision from day one.

Day 2 — Affordable Housing & Equity in Design

The second day spotlighted projects tackling one of the most urgent challenges facing American cities: affordable and inclusive housing. Sites visited:

  • Kapuso at the Upper Yard — 131 affordable homes replacing a former parking lot, creating a vibrant, transit-oriented community.
  • Sunnydale HOPE SF — A 50-acre redevelopment bringing over 1,700 new homes, parks, retail, and a community hub centered on dignity and opportunity.
  • The Kelsey Civic Center — 112 inclusive units for residents with and without disabilities, proving design can be a tool for access and belonging.

Lessons that resonated:

  • Equity must live in the design, not just in the mission statement.
  • Community engagement, thoughtful partnerships, and human-scaled architecture create dignity at every price point.
  • Transit and access are not amenities — they’re lifelines.

These projects reminded me why empathy is as essential to design as geometry or light.

Day 3 — Adaptive Reuse, Innovation & Reinvention

On the final day, I explored Mare Island — once the first U.S. Naval Shipyard on the West Coast and now a hub for innovation, craft, and sustainability.

From the precision of Factory_OS, reimagining how modular housing is built, to the authenticity of Redwood Empire Whiskey, revitalizing heritage structures with California soul, the tour was a lesson in reinvention done right. It’s proof that legacy spaces can evolve into platforms for the future, when design, reuse, and community vision align.

My experience at ULI fuels our collective knowledge and sharpens the strategies we bring to our clients. At Moya Design Partners (MOYA) we’ve always believed that great design begins long before a line is drawn, it starts with understanding systems, people, and purpose. The lessons from San Francisco reinforced that belief.

We integrate resilience early in the process, treating infrastructure and the environment not as background conditions but as design opportunities. Our approach ensures that energy performance, climate adaptation, and long-term stewardship are woven into the architectural DNA of a project from day one.

We also build collaboration frameworks that bridge public agencies, private developers, and community voices. True impact comes from partnerships that align values and resources — and from creating spaces where everyone has a stake in the outcome.

Designing for equity and belonging remains central to our practice. We view accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability as essential elements of good design, not optional features. Every space we create aims to foster connection, dignity, and opportunity for all who experience it.

And finally, we focus on placemaking — crafting environments that celebrate culture, identity, and context. Our work seeks to reflect the stories of the people who inhabit these places, ensuring design serves as both a physical and emotional anchor.

The ULI Fall Meeting reminded me why we do what we do. Walking through neighborhoods like Mission Rock, Sunnydale, and Mare Island wasn’t just an educational experience, it was a glimpse into the future of cities: resilient, equitable, and alive with purpose. At MOYA, we carry those lessons forward. They’ll inform the next waterfront we reimagine, the next community we design for, and the next generation of sustainable architecture we deliver.

Follow me at @bypaolamoya or @moya.us.

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