Publisher’s Message

Anastasia Barnes

Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of emails that start with “Can you believe it’s August already?” The answer is yes, but this year it feels like the summer has flown by. Maybe it’s because we’ve barely returned to in-person events after a long year of webinars and Zoom meetings. Recently, I attended the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Summer Social where I had the opportunity to congregate with other ULI members and enjoy actually socializing in person again! It was so much fun to get to gather outdoors with colleagues I have missed seeing.

The ongoing pandemic is prompting many industries, including retail and hospitality, to pivot and redevelop standards in order to remain successful. HP’s editor, Emily Langner, shares a synopsis of a recent report by the National League of Cities which highlights our nation’s current state of retail. The authors of the report assert that “retail forms the foundation of our local economies, our workforce and main streets across the country. Beyond their necessity, strong local retail economies are often what make cities, towns and villages great places to live, work and play. “ Turn to page 12 to read more.

I wanted to give a special shout out to Scolara Consulting Group, an owner’s rep based out of Ashland, Mass., that is pending certification as a B Corporation. Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This kind of commitment aligns with HP’s principles and mission and we’re excited for you to read more about the company on page 38.

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(l-r) At the ULI New England Summer Social: Andrew Tishkevich of USI Insurance, Ryan Lynch of South Coast Improvement, Anastasia Barnes of High-Profile, Trey Rebman of CBRE, and Ryan Dessert of CBRE. / Photo by Lipofsky Photography

I’m delighted to publish our interview with Pascale Sablan, founder of Beyond the Built Environment, in our section on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Beyond the Built Environment is an organization that addresses the inequitable disparities in architecture by providing a holistic platform aimed to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline, and advocates for equity in the built environment by engaging, elevating, educating, and collaborating. Learn more about the organization and how you or your firm can become involved on page 36.

September will be HP’s 24th Anniversary issue. That means only one year until the big 2-5! Keep an eye out for promos detailing how you can take part in our 25th anniversary issue, to be published in September of 2022. Do you have an anniversary coming up? Let us know!

Enjoy the read and the rest of the summer,