Ron Nyren

In an era when the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area is demolishing industrial properties to build offices, life science campuses, and housing, Brisbane, California, is taking a contrary position by doubling down on its commercial heritage, even as it prepares to add significantly more housing.

Bill Mahar, co-chair of Colorado’s UrbanPlan and a principal at Norris Design, leads a March 2026 UrbanPlan exercise at the ULI Health Leaders Forum in Portland, Oregon. (ULI Colorado) During Angie Tejeda’s junior year at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Washington, D.C., she participated in the Urban Land Institute’s UrbanPlan program.

Small-scale infill development can be a powerful tool for urban revitalization by replacing deteriorating structures and vacant lots. By repurposing constrained, sometimes irregular footprints and respecting neighboring buildings, these interventions capitalize on existing infrastructure and bring fresh energy to established neighborhoods.