Founder

Stephen B. Friedman, FAICP, CRE

As founder of SB Friedman, Steve's goal was to use his planning, real estate and development finance expertise to help create great places.

Steve is a national expert in urban planning, real estate and public-private development partnerships. For over 30 years, he led SB Friedman in providing a broad range of services from visioning and feasibility analysis to development strategies, financing and implementation of plans and redevelopment projects. He worked closely with public, private and institutional clients to formulate innovative public-private partnerships and advised on the use of financing tools for projects of varying scales. His reputation for providing objective and implementable advice and his passion for high-quality development made him a trusted advisor. 

 

Throughout his career, Steve was a thought leader, presenting and writing on numerous economic development and public-private partnership topics. His book, Successful Public Private Partnerships: From Principles to Practices, was published by the Urban Land Institute and widely distributed. He was also deeply involved in both professional and civic associations, a commitment that continues today through his ongoing work in civic and not-for-profit organizations. 

Affiliations & Achievements

  • Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning, University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • Bachelor of Arts, Goddard College (VT)
  • College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners
  • Counselors of Real Estate, Midwest Chapter Chair (1998-1999)
  • Lambda Alpha International – Chicago Region Chapter, Chapter President (1988-1989)
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI), District Council Chair (1998-2000), Urban Development Mixed-Use Council Chair (2009-2011)
  • Civic Federation – Director and Member of the Executive Committee
  • Doris B. and Marshall M. Holleb Community Service Award, Lambda Alpha International – Ely Chapter, 2020
  • James Felt Creative Counseling Award, Counselors of Real Estate, 2013
  • Editor and Primary Author, “Successful Public Private Partnerships: From Principles to Practices,” Urban Land Institute, 2016
Stephen B. Friedman, FAICP, CRE

“Over the years, I worked with many great clients on meaningful and impactful projects but my most important project, and the one of which I am most proud, was creating a firm that became what it is today.”