This tour highlights key projects that have grown alongside the park, showcasing how mixed-use, residential, and commercial investments are shaping a vibrant and connected downtown. Participants will hear directly from local leaders and developers about how Raleigh’s commitment to historic preservation, design excellence, and creative placemaking continues to drive sustainable growth.

Downtown Cary Park, the result of more than two decades of visionary planning, spans seven acres in the heart of Cary and is home to the nation’s #1 public playground. The park’s creation helped spark a wave of downtown development, as public investment and thoughtful design attracted private partners who recognized the area’s potential.

This tour will take you from the newly opened RUS BUS Station in Downtown Raleigh to the Wake Med Hospital Campus. Along the way, you'll see how New Bern Avenue is changing as the state's first Bus Rapid Transit line begins construction. More density, more people, more housing and more amenities are planned. Join us to learn more about the transformation that is about to take place.

Join us as we kick off the Carolinas Meeting! Whether you're just checking in or gearing up for the opening session, take this opportunity to grab a snack, enjoy a cup of coffee, and connect with fellow attendees. This casual meet-and-greet sets the tone for the engaging discussions and networking ahead. Let’s come together and start building meaningful connections for an impactful event.

As the Carolinas continue to experience dynamic growth and demographic shifts, what does the future hold for real estate across the region? This opening session brings together visionary leaders to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping our built environment. From emerging technologies and sustainability imperatives to economic development and community resilience, our panelists will share insights on how public and private sectors can collaborate to create thriving places.

A pragmatic, place-led strategy rooted in small-scale, incremental projects to unlock variety, gentle density, and local economic strength—without sacrificing a bigger vision. Through case studies and actionable steps, learn how the Building Small approach leverages rapidly changing zoning, new forms of capital, and a locally rooted entrepreneurial ethos to build trust and more authentic places. Whether revitalizing main streets or suburban steps, adding infill housing, or reusing existing assets, this session equips you to move from idea to implementation, and start thinking about measuring success by outcomes, not square feet.

During the closing lunch, this fast-paced program is a great way to learn about innovative and exciting new projects under construction within North and South Carolina. Six developments will present in 6.5 minute sprint per project, sharing mini-case studies about their development including lessons learned, photos, site and floor plans, development timeline, in addition to site, building and financial data.