Land development builds for the future and the best land development builds a better future. After spending the week with the visionary, practical, technically expert and financially savvy men and women at the ULI Fall Meeting in Dallas, it’s clear that making a better future is what ULI is all about.

Twenty years ago, as an environmental consultant I had to convince land-development clients that the earth’s environmental quality had value—but the people I met at the Fall Meeting needed no convincing. They love the land. In fact, ULI members and others in Dallas made even more land by creating the Klyde Warren Park from the air over a freeway, enriching the community greatly in the process.

Only an optimist would take on the projects like Klyde Warren. In Dallas, we heard a presentation on the power of optimism from Steve Gross of the Life Is Good Kids Foundation. Steve (I’m pretty sure he would want me to call him Steve) spoke about the Foundation’s work with children who have experienced traumatic events—and he made it clear that the development community can play a part in building safe and joyful places for children. It was inspiring to think about how the places we make change lives, especially those of these children.

I’ve recalibrated my view of a successful developer. I still think of them as optimists, but I now think of the best developers as humble. Did you laugh? I’m serious. Lucy Billingsley, co-founder and partner at Billingsley Company, and daughter of the late Dallas visionary real estate developer Trammel Crow, brushed aside the notion of building a legacy— “I do my best,” she said.

Many speakers emphasized the importance of listening to a community and building something with an authentic connection to history. We talked quite a bit about globalization and connectivity. What could be more humbling than the awareness that there is nothing standing in the way of our confronting our shared vulnerabilities such as climate change, pandemics and threats to the global supply chain.

In his book, “The Well Tempered City,” Jonathan F. P. Rose wrote of how cities were born to create harmony between man and nature. Rose spoke to us of the importance of designing and reshaping our cities to equalize the opportunity to be healthy, safe, educated, inspired and joyful. The generous members of ULI tackle this job every day. I’m proud to be a member.

Charlene Drake is a New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professional in Langan Engineering’s center city Philadelphia office. Charlene has worked in environmental construction management for over 20 years in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.