About the REAI
The Real Estate Academic Initiative at Harvard University (REAI) is an interfaculty, interdisciplinary program focused on real estate research and education across the University.
We are overseen by the Office of the Provost, and led by a Core Faculty Committee representing five Harvard schools: the Graduate School of Design, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Kennedy School of Government, the Harvard Law School, and the Harvard Business School. The central purpose of the REAI is to provide necessary funding for interdisciplinary and interfaculty research efforts to improve the study and practice of real estate and urban development both domestically and abroad. We cultivate research projects that engage Harvard faculty and students from a broad range of disciplines in conversations about the future of cities and those investing in them.
The International Advisory Board of the REAI is a body comprised of both Harvard-affiliated and non-affiliated industry leaders who provide guidance and support for the various activities of the Initiative. The primary mission of the International Advisory Board is to provide guidance for the research agenda and to advise the core faculty on issues of concern in global real estate, providing a vital connection between the academic focus of the Initiative and current industry trends. The REAI has also supported the formation of an alumni association to take part in activities of the Initiative. This group focuses on community building among Harvard alumni, as well as student support activities such as networking, mentoring and career support. The REAI’s alumni activities are directed by the Alumni Advisory Board, a diverse group of Harvard graduates engaged in real estate and related disciplines. Because the REAI is committed to strict academic integrity, all recommendations of the Boards are advisory and are provided for the benefit of the core faculty and to serve the mission of the Initiative. Financial support for the research efforts and other activities of the Initiative is given with the understanding that the agenda of the Initiative must remain under the control of the faculty.
Statement of Mission
Our mission is to contribute to the quality of urban development in the U.S. and internationally through multi-disciplinary research and education in real estate and urban development. The Initiative is intended to provide a focus for education and research by bringing together faculty, students, and alumni throughout Harvard who work in fields relating to real estate and urban development:
- To engage the Harvard community in broad-based, yet focused discussion and understanding of real estate and urban development in a way that may then be reflected in each school's educational program and scholarly interests.
- To knit together people from the multiple programs and research interests that occur in the different schools and research centers and to provide a focal point for conversations across disciplinary lines.
- To provide a forum for discussion and learning - through workshops and executive education programs at various levels among those engaged in the real estate and urban development field.
- To establish a multi-disciplinary research program in the University on industry matters that can add value to an intellectual understanding of the field in a more sustained and focused manner, taking advantage of the potential for higher synergy among academics and between academia and the industry itself.
Our goal is to enhance the quality and practice of urban development. We see the Initiative as a bridge between the many different facets of urban development and urban policy: public and private sector, urban fringe growth and inner city regeneration, finance, law, design, environment, public health, education, demography, ethnicity, government, and technology.
