ArchNewsNow: 2011 Rudy Bruner Award Winners Offer Innovative Models for Urban Placemaking

The Rudy Bruner Award, now in its 13th award cycle, has a longstanding commitment to promoting excellence in urban placemaking, and has honored more than 65 projects since its establishment in 1986. Acknowledging the dynamic interplay between process, place, and community values in realizing successful design, the award engages an in-depth, on-site evaluation process that strives to recognize outstanding interdisciplinary approaches to transforming urban challenges into community opportunities. These projects comprise a rich collection of well-documented case studies that serve as a growing resource for practitioners and community leaders alike.

Five projects from around the U.S. were recently honored with the 2011 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. The prestigious biennial award recognizes exceptional civic places that harness collaborative design processes to improve the urban environment. At a time when conventional approaches to project development have been plagued by economic challenges, this year’s award winners exemplify flexible, resilient strategies for effecting lasting positive change within their communities. As the Gold Medal recipient, the Bridge Homeless Assistance Center in Dallas, Texas, will receive $50,000, while four Silver Medal recipients will receive $10,000 each.

While encompassing a wide range of disciplines and approaches, this year’s winners reflect a common understanding of the critical role that citizens, institutions, and governments play in the creation of successful civic places. Each project offers a powerful example of the positive influence that community-minded design and development can have in empowering local communities and addressing pressing social issues. READ MORE >>

via www.archnewsnow.com