WASHINGTON, DC—Some 650 real estate and land use professionals and guests attended the National Building Museum’s Honor Award Gala, held here on Thursday evening. This year’s Honor Award went to the Urban Land Institute, which was recognized for its 75-year legacy of leadership in land use and innovative community building worldwide.

Tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Case delivered the evening’s keynote address, citing the enormous influence technology and the Internet have had on society. The land use and real estate business will be forever changed by these innovations and the evolution of the “sharing economy”—where items such as cars and office space are be shared by urban residents—and the industry must consider these trends to stay relevant, said Case, co-founder of AOL and current chairman and chief executive officer of the Revolution Co., which invests in consumer-oriented businesses such as Zipcar. “With its global reach, ULI is well-positioned to leverage the potential of technology to benefit the industry and communities as a whole,” he said.

The black-tie gala, which also featured a video tribute to ULI from Former President Bill Clinton, included remarks by NBM president and executive director Chase W. Rynd and Michael J. Glosserman, chair of the museum’s board of trustees. ULI chairman Peter S. Rummell and CEO Patrick L. Phillips accepted the Honor Award on behalf of the organization. In presenting the award, NBM’s Rynd stated, “The Museum’s Honor Award recognizes leaders who have defined our culture, developed our communities, and crafted our built environment. We salute the ULI for its longstanding commitment to multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan research that impacts the built environment. With this award, we applaud ULI as a leading voice for smart growth and for strategies that go beyond bricks and mortar to enhance the quality of life in the world’s urban communities.”