Front & Center

Hosted by CenterSquare Investment Management

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Front & Center is a podcast produced by CenterSquare Investment Management, providing insights and perspectives on commercial real estate investment across the public and private markets through timely and relevant conversations with Firm thought leaders about the trends and drivers impacting the global real estate asset class.

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60 recent

August 14, 202625 min

Episode 83: Data Center Sustainability: Beyond the Headlines

Among the many questions surrounding the development of AI is the challenge of how we develop AI sustainably as it grows and becomes integral across all industries and our daily lives. This episode of the Front & Center podcast examines that challenge. Senior Investment Strategist and Global Head of Sustainability Uma Moriarity is joined by Christopher Wellise, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Equinix, to correct the narrative around AI development and dispel the idea that every new gigawatt of AI infrastructure is working against climate goals. From finding the balance between rapid growth and responsible resource use to the efficiency innovations emerging as a result, Uma and Christopher discuss the reality of data center development and the opportunities that exist to drive sustainable innovation.

July 10, 2026Episode 8026 min

Episode #82: From Colonial Port Towns to Gateway Markets: 250 Years of America’s Built Environment

As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the Front & Center podcast takes a look at the history of the built environment in the U.S. CenterSquare Advisory Board member Joe Gyourko, MartinBucksbaum Professor of Real Estate, Finance and Business & Public Policy at Wharton, former Director of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center and current Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research joins host and Senior Investment Strategist Uma Moriarity to examine how the cities and physical spaces we live in evolved over the long-term. Uma and Joe discuss the forces driving urban growth, including why some cities adapt and thrive while others decline, what decades of zoning restrictions have done to housing affordability, and what it might take to build the next great American city.

June 18, 2026Episode 8134 min

Episode #81: Unlocking Capital: Liquidity, Structure, and the Future of Private Real Estate

On this episode of Front & Center, Senior Investment Strategist and Global Head of Sustainability Uma Moriarity sits down with Liz Bell, Managing Director and Co-Head of Real Estate at Hamilton Lane, one of the world's largest private markets investment firms. Liz and Uma dissect the forces currently constraining capital flow in the private markets and dig into what the data is actually showing about real estate's liquidity position relative to other private asset classes, how capital structure is shaping the investor experience, and where the market is heading. The conversation offers a grounded, data-driven look at how capital wants to access real estate today across geography and investor type.

May 21, 2026Episode 8026 min

Episode #80: Beyond AI Deployment: Differentiating through Data and Context

Earlier this month, CenterSquare welcomed Doug Carpenter to the team in the newly created role of Director, Head of Data Strategy and AI. On this episode of Front & Center, Doug joins Senior Investment Strategist and Global Head of Sustainability Uma Moriarity to talk all things data and AI.This wide-ranging conversation covers the importance of data and context as differentiators in a world in which implementing AI on its own has become table stakes, and imagines the future of real estate investing for companies that can effectively harness the power of data and AI today.

April 24, 2026Episode 7926 min

Episode #79: The Role of Sustainability in Asset Management

On this episode of Front & Center, Senior Investment Strategist and Global Head of Sustainability is joined by Nina Galbiati, Head of Real Estate Asset Management at Norges Bank Investment Management, to talk about the role sustainability plays in asset management. Uma and Nina discuss why sustainability is no longer a values-based statement but a genuine value-creation strategy, and how the shift away from cap rate compression has made operational excellence the primary driver of real estate returns. The discussion concludes with a candid look at the systemic risks, from insurability to energy security, that the real estate industry still isn't taking seriously enough.

April 10, 2026Episode 7720 min

Episode #78: The Transformative Power of AI across Industries Part 2

In Part 2 of Front & Center’s deep dive into AI, Fotis Sotiropoulos, Executive Vice President and Provost at Penn State University returns to join host and Senior Investment Strategist Uma Moriarity. The discussion this time turns to the impact of AI on research and its potential to complement specialized expertise and accelerate our ability to tackle complex interdisciplinary problems in education, medicine, clinical care and other industries.

April 10, 2026Episode 7717 min

Episode #77: The Transformative Power of AI across Industries Part 1

It’s not news that AI is challenging and changing the way welive and work across many industries. This week on the Front & Center podcast, host and Senior Investment Strategist Uma Moriarity is joined by Fotis Sotiropoulos, Executive Vice President and Provost at Penn State University, to talk about the transformation happening in Higher Education and the shifting value proposition of a university education.

March 27, 2026Episode 7619 min

Episode #76: Resilient by Design: The Case for Essential Service Industrial

Front and Center returns for a discussion of Essential Service Industrial (ESI), a niche subsector we’re watching closely. Uma Moriarity, Senior Investment Strategist and Global Head of Sustainability, sits down with three leasing experts on the front lines of ESI. Uma is joined by Cory Sposi, VP of Sales & Leasing at Commercial Properties Inc. in Phoenix; Ryan Kelly, VP & Industrial Advisor at Colliers in Indianapolis; and Trey Weghorst, SVP & Partner at Apex Industrial Real Estate Advisors in Atlanta. Together, they discuss the resilient demand drivers behind this property type, why mission-critical tenants move quickly and stay long, how constrained supply is sustaining rent growth across markets, and why the diversified tenant base of Essential Service Industrial makes it one of the most compelling stories in commercial real estate today.

March 13, 2026Episode 7517 min

Episode #75: The Importance of Mission-Driven Leadership

On this episode of Front & Center, host and SeniorInvestment Strategist Uma Moriarity holds an inspiring conversation with CenterSquare CEO Todd Briddell on the merits of mission-driven leadership. In a world of accelerating AI capabilities, empowering employees to make decisions has become even more valuable. Todd and Uma discuss the challenges and risks inherent in AI-fueled decision-making within a bureaucratic structure, and whyit’s important to create a culture of alignment, empowerment, and trust within your organization.

February 27, 2026Episode 7427 min

Episode #74: 2026 Private Real Estate Outlook: Navigating the 2026 Real Estate Cycle

Our 2026 Market Outlook Series concludes with the latest episode of Front & Center, providing an analysis of the private real estate markets in the year ahead. Co-CIO Rob Holuba joins host and Senior Investment Strategist Uma Moriarity to share his expectations for private real estate in 2026. Uma and Rob cover the state of different sectors on the “real estate clock” and how they see each sector positioned within the context of the real estate cycle. They take a deep dive into niche property types within Rental Housing, Industrial and Retail, and make a brief stop in the more operationally demanding Data Centers and Senior Housing.