Eligibility: Graduate students in Real Estate Development and Urban Planning will be given preference for enrollment in the program. Undergraduate students from Sustainable Built Environments (SBE) and those who have declared their minor in Real Estate Development will be accepted with course instructor approval.

Faculty: CAPLA Abroad – Cities of the Future is led by UArizona Lecturer in Real Estate Development and Urban Planning Brian Bidolli MBA, MPA, MCP, AICP.

Brian is currently the Executive Director of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency and has been a Lecturer and Advisor in the Master of Real Estate Development program at the University of Arizona for the past five years. Prior to these posts, Brian was the Executive Director of the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (METROCOG). Through his work with elected officials, Brian has led numerous public policy initiatives with a focus on the integration of data and technology into government and business processes.

In 2014, Brian was a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow based in Berlin, Germany. Working as a consultant to the SAP Future Cities Program, he supported smart city integration projects in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. He has spent a significant amount of time working and living in Germany.

Coursework: Students will earn 6 units of UArizona direct credit for successful participation in this program.

RED 597A: Special Topics - Cities of the Future

Cities around the world provide influential models for sustainable development and urban policy through demonstrated commitment to innovation, smart cities, and technology. Through a deep examination of international planning and development models, students will be able to further their understanding of real estate development, planning, sustainability, and policy within the context of real-world case studies demonstrating the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural nature of these disciplines. Case studies, expert lectures, and roundtable discussions with industry leaders and policymakers will give students the opportunity to develop real-world solutions in an international setting. 

RED 698: Professional Projects in Real Estate Development

This course provides an opportunity for Master of Real Estate Development students to engage in a culminating experience involving a substantive project which demonstrates a synthesis of learning including broadly comprehensive knowledge of a disciple, its methods, and processes. Students will work under the direction of a faculty member in conjunction with members of the real estate community to identify a project, conduct analysis and synthesis, and to prepare a final report and presentation.

To earn credit for this course, participants will complete a professional project on sustainable real estate development. Students will identify a project site in one of the program’s geographic areas of study to analyze and propose a sustainable development or smart city integration project. They will assess the local market, develop an investment recommendation based on project financing, and present their findings to the class and a board of potential “investors” composed of international real estate and development officials for evaluation. Upon their return to the United States, students will provide a similar presentation of their projects to a US-based panel of investors in the Sundt gallery, and we will examine the differing points of view and perspective offered by investors and decision makers in Europe and the United States.

Participants will also have the opportunity to hear many notable guest speakers and lecturers including:

• Dr. Alanus von Radecki: founder of the Data Competence Centre for Cities and Regions DSKR, founder and former CIO of BABLE
• Bob Griffin: Managing Partner, DVI Equity Partners- technology investments and portfolio management 
• Carl-Oliver Kessler, Managing Partner, WBRE WATERBOUND Real Estate München GmbH

Arizona International scholarships: 

• Arizona International Study Abroad Scholarships
• Study Abroad Scholarship Tracker

Departmental scholarships:

• Check your department's and college's websites for scholarship opportunities, or ask your academic advisor!
• School of Natural Resources & the Environment scholarships
• SILLC Global Award Fund
• Honors College study abroad scholarships

External scholarships:

• Gilman Scholarship (for Pell Grant recipients)
• Fund for Education Abroad

Locations: Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Freiburg im Breisgau

Good to Know:

View each country's LGBTQ+ rating here: Equaldex’s LGBTQ+ Equality Index.

View each country's Peace rating here: Global Peace Index rating

View Languages spoken in each country.

Housing: Hotels

Participants will stay in hotel rooms (single or double occupancy).

CAPLA Abroad – Cities of the Future participants will get the opportunity to visit countless exciting and impactful sites throughout the vibrant cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, and Freiburg im Breisgau. Activities and excursions include visits to local firms and industry sites, guest speaker and lecture experiences, and outings to cultural attractions.

Students will also have several days “off” throughout the program to explore individually, and have the option to participate in optional group cultural events while in Berlin.