ULI's Project Recovery Earns 2026 ASAE Power of Associations Summit Award
WASHINGTON (July 24, 2026) — The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has been honored with a 2026 ASAE Power of Associations Summit Award by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in recognition of its leadership in convening a collaborative recovery effort following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
The effort resulted in Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles after the January 2025 Wildfires, a roadmap for rebuilding and resilience that demonstrates the powerful role associations play in solving complex challenges, advancing industries, and strengthening communities.
The ASAE Power of Associations Awards recognize associations that leverage their unique ability to convene stakeholders, inspire collaboration, and drive meaningful change. Through innovative programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts, award recipients exemplify how associations create lasting impact that extends well beyond the members they serve.
Following the devastating January 2025 wildfires in greater Los Angeles, the Urban Land Institute, ULI Los Angeles, the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, and the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate formed a Rebuild Advisory Committee and launched a rapid-response initiative designed to help communities rebuild faster and more resiliently. The effort addressed a critical challenge facing the region: accelerating recovery for thousands of displaced residents while overcoming systemic barriers related to permitting, housing, financing, insurance, and construction.
Within days of the disaster, ULI convened more than 100 experts from over 30 organizations and agencies spanning the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. Working through specialized workstreams, volunteers contributed nearly 11,000 hours over six weeks to develop a comprehensive recovery roadmap. The resulting report, Project Recovery, serves as both an immediate recovery roadmap for Los Angeles and a replicable model for communities nationwide confronting climate-driven disasters.
Project Recovery has impacted recovery efforts across Los Angeles. Local governments have implemented or begun piloting several key recommendations, including permit self-certification pilots, AI-enabled permitting reviews, and a one-stop permitting office serving fire-impacted communities. These reforms have demonstrated the potential to reduce home-permitting timelines from as long as one year to as little as 30 days.
Project Recovery also helped catalyze the creation of the Builders Alliance, a nonprofit coalition providing homeowners with access to pre-approved home designs and coordinated rebuilding resources aimed at reducing costs and accelerating reconstruction.
“ASAE’s Power of Associations Awards recognize the very best of what our community can accomplish,” said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, AAiP. “This recognition honors organizations that don’t simply advance their own missions – they bring people together to solve complex challenges, strengthen industries and professions, and create lasting benefits for society. The Urban Land Institute has demonstrated the vision, leadership, and commitment to make a meaningful difference, and we are proud to recognize Project Recovery as one of this year’s outstanding achievements.”
“The work behind Project Recovery demonstrates the impact ULI can have when we convene cross-sector expertise in service of communities,” said Angela Cain, CEO of the Urban Land Institute. “We’re proud to see this collaborative effort recognized and grateful to the members, partners, and volunteers whose leadership and expertise helped make it possible.”