Using no public funding, FC Barcelona plans to tear down the existing Camp Nou stadium and replace it with a larger one that can accommodate about 105,000 spectators. The redevelopment will also include the club's offices, along with a large retail component and new public spaces.

From a real estate perspective, the thinking is that if one makes the assumption that a sports franchise is going to be around for the long term, it can drive development and demand, explained Moix. A sporting venue as the centerpiece of a mixed-use project is “something that is here to stay, and stay long.”

The Belfast pavilion at MIPIM invites attendees to sit on the Iron Throne that's used as a prop in the worldwide HBO smash Game of Thrones, and one might say that the show's impact on the Belfast economy makes it the seat of power for the city's reinvention. “Game of Thrones alone is putting hundreds of millions into our economy,” Suzanne Wylie, chief executive of the Belfast City Council, told the MIPIM audience.

HBO's hit fantasy series is only the highest-profile success story in the Northern Ireland capital's transformation into a film and digital hub. Along with representing a new asset class for Belfast—the city is now home to two-purpose-built film studios, the only ones in the UK outside of London—creative industries also drive existing real estate sectors there.

“These kinds of industries want a lot of collaborative space,” Wylie said of digital firms. “They also want to be close to science centers.” The tech industry is driving enrollment at colleges and universities in Belfast as companies in the sector seek talent. Tourism is also up thanks to Game of Thrones, giving the region's hospitality sector.

Its massive popularity notwithstanding, Game of Thrones will not be in production indefinitely, and Wylie stressed the importance of establishing the film and digital sector in Belfast for the long term. “You always have to be reinventing yourself,” she said.

While Dubai's history dates back to at least the Middle Ages, its present-day status as a hub for tourism and, most recently, technology is of far more recent vintage. Currently it's being redeveloped through a master plan in advance of Expo 2020, one that anticipates explosive population growth over the next few years.

Among the needs of a rapidly growing city is schools, and that is the focus of Emirates REIT, managed by Equitativa Real Estate. Schools help build communities, and well-run schools can also help developers in other sectors obtain financing, explained Sylvain Vieujot, executive deputy chairman of Equitativa. While Emirates REIT began with investments in the office sector, today its focus is on school facilities, which can bring an IRR comfortably in the double-digit range, Vieujot said.

Complementary to schools in rapidly growing neighborhoods are places to live. To that end, Equitativa last month launched Residential REIT, the United Arab Emirates' first real estate trust focusing on the sector.

CANNES, FRANCE—One was an historic city seeking to bring new life to a neighborhood by rethinking its approach to one of the area's main components. Another was a city that has put itself on the global map through reinvention. A third was an ancient city whose modern incarnation is literally still in its formative stages.

All three scenarios held the stage Thursday for a MIPIM discussion focusing on the real estate implications of asset classes that move beyond the traditional five food groups. Lex Brans, director of real estate for the city of Amsterdam, moderated the session, titled “New Game, New Rules, New Asset Classes: What Are the Consequences for Brick and Mortar?”

In Barcelona, it's not so much a new game as a new setting, with soccer franchise FC Barcelona spearheading the development of a new sports complex that seeks not only to replace the club's current stadium. It's also intended to integrate with and bolster the surrounding neighborhood, explained FC Barcelona's Jordi Moix, commissioner of the Espai Barca project.

The club has sought to redevelop the facility for a number of years, and previous referendums to approve the project failed because they lacked participation from the surrounding community, Moix said. FC Barcelona learned from that mistake, seeking input from stakeholders in the neighborhood.

Using no public funding, FC Barcelona plans to tear down the existing Camp Nou stadium and replace it with a larger one that can accommodate about 105,000 spectators. The redevelopment will also include the club's offices, along with a large retail component and new public spaces.

From a real estate perspective, the thinking is that if one makes the assumption that a sports franchise is going to be around for the long term, it can drive development and demand, explained Moix. A sporting venue as the centerpiece of a mixed-use project is “something that is here to stay, and stay long.”

The Belfast pavilion at MIPIM invites attendees to sit on the Iron Throne that's used as a prop in the worldwide HBO smash Game of Thrones, and one might say that the show's impact on the Belfast economy makes it the seat of power for the city's reinvention. “Game of Thrones alone is putting hundreds of millions into our economy,” Suzanne Wylie, chief executive of the Belfast City Council, told the MIPIM audience.

HBO's hit fantasy series is only the highest-profile success story in the Northern Ireland capital's transformation into a film and digital hub. Along with representing a new asset class for Belfast—the city is now home to two-purpose-built film studios, the only ones in the UK outside of London—creative industries also drive existing real estate sectors there.

“These kinds of industries want a lot of collaborative space,” Wylie said of digital firms. “They also want to be close to science centers.” The tech industry is driving enrollment at colleges and universities in Belfast as companies in the sector seek talent. Tourism is also up thanks to Game of Thrones, giving the region's hospitality sector.

Its massive popularity notwithstanding, Game of Thrones will not be in production indefinitely, and Wylie stressed the importance of establishing the film and digital sector in Belfast for the long term. “You always have to be reinventing yourself,” she said.

While Dubai's history dates back to at least the Middle Ages, its present-day status as a hub for tourism and, most recently, technology is of far more recent vintage. Currently it's being redeveloped through a master plan in advance of Expo 2020, one that anticipates explosive population growth over the next few years.

Among the needs of a rapidly growing city is schools, and that is the focus of Emirates REIT, managed by Equitativa Real Estate. Schools help build communities, and well-run schools can also help developers in other sectors obtain financing, explained Sylvain Vieujot, executive deputy chairman of Equitativa. While Emirates REIT began with investments in the office sector, today its focus is on school facilities, which can bring an IRR comfortably in the double-digit range, Vieujot said.

Complementary to schools in rapidly growing neighborhoods are places to live. To that end, Equitativa last month launched Residential REIT, the United Arab Emirates' first real estate trust focusing on the sector.