The Bruner Foundation Inc., sponsor of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA), today announced the five finalists for its 2015 award.
Founded in 1987, this pioneering, biennial accolade seeks to identify transformative urban places in America, and to celebrate their impact on the economic, social, and physical fabric of our cities. Pike Place Market in Seattle was the first RBA winner, and 73 places in 25 states have been recognized with the award since.
The 2015 RBA finalists are:
Falls Park on the Reedy - Greenville, S.C.
Photo: Rosales and Partners
The renaissance of a 26-acre river corridor running through the heart of Greenville, restoring public access to the falls and greenspace and catalyzing adjacent downtown development. (Submitted by the city of Greenville)
Grand Rapids Downtown Market – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Photo: Mike Buck
A new downtown public space promoting local food producers and community events, entrepreneurship, and education about nutrition and healthy lifestyles. (Submitted by Grand Rapids Downtown Market.)
Miller’s Court - Baltimore, Md.
Photo: Billy Michels
The redevelopment of a vacant manufacturing building into an affordable and supportive living and working environment for public school teachers and education-focused nonprofits. (Submitted by Enterprise Community Investment Inc.)
Quixote Village - Olympia, Wash.
Photo: Panza
A two-acre community of 30 tiny houses and a common building that provides permanent, supportive housing for chronically homeless adults. (Submitted by Panza)
Uptown District - Cleveland
Photo: Rien Van Rijthoven / Stanley Saitowitz, Natoma Architects Inc.
The vibrant redevelopment of a corridor linking art, educational and health care institutions with surrounding neighborhoods, creating lively outdoor gathering spaces, retail shops and restaurants, student and market-rate housing, and public transit connections. (Submitted by Case Western Reserve University)
Entries comprised completed projects in the continental United States. The finalists and ensuing Gold and Silver Medalists are selected by a nationwide committee of urban experts. The 2015 selection committee includes:
- Rebecca Flora - AICP, LEED ND-BD+C, Sustainable Communities Practice Leader, Ecology & Environment, Chestertown, Md.
- Larry Kearns - AIA, CSA, LEED AP, Principal, Wheeler Kearns Architects, Chicago
- India Pierce Lee - Program Director, Cleveland Foundation, Cleveland
- Mia Lehrer - FASLA, President, Mia Lehrer + Associates, Los Angeles
- James Stockard - Lecturer in Housing, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Mass.
- Mark Stodola – Mayor, Little Rock, Ark.
“The Rudy Bruner Award offers the opportunity to showcase innovative placemaking responses to the needs of American cities and communities,” says Simeon Bruner, founder of the award. “We want to advance discourse about making cities better, and seek outstanding examples to share with those who care about improving our urban environments. There are a surprising number of inventive projects out there, if you just look for them.”
Next month, Bruner Foundation staff will begin site visits to each finalist project in preparation for the committee’s selection of the medal winners in June. The medalists will receive cash awards to support their projects: one Gold Medal recipient - $50,000, four Silver Medal recipients - $10,000 each. Case studies of all past RBA winners are available online. 2015 winner case studies will be posted in 2016.
Related Stories
Museums | Aug 15, 2017
Underground Railroad Visitor Center tells story of oppression, then freedom
The museum is conceived as a series of abstracted forms made up of two main structures, one administrative and one exhibit.
Cultural Facilities | Jul 13, 2017
A WWII bunker becomes a museum along Denmark’s coast
BIG’s design of this cultural center is the “antithesis” of the fortress.
Museums | Jul 5, 2017
Addition by subtraction: Art Share L.A. renovation strips away its acquired superfluity
The redesign of the 28,000-sf building is prioritizing flexibility, openness, and connectivity.
Performing Arts Centers | Jun 30, 2017
L.A.’s John Anson Ford Amphitheater might finally be ready for its close-up
The performing arts venue, nearly a century old, has undergone an extensive refurbishing.
Building Team | Jun 27, 2017
Bruner Foundation announces 2017 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence gold and silver medalists
The SteelStacks Arts and Cultural Campus in Bethlehem, Pa., receives the gold medal and $50,000.
Libraries | May 31, 2017
A year after its facelift, Boston’s Public Library is relevant again
Visitors are flocking to its brighter, connected halls, which now include retail and digital components.
Cultural Facilities | May 25, 2017
The Shed, a multi-arts center on New York’s west side, moves forward in construction and funding
The facility, designed for maximum programming flexibility, includes a massive movable shell.
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2017
Obama Foundation reveals first look at the Obama Presidential Center
The design comprises three buildings set in the public space of Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side.
Performing Arts Centers | Mar 6, 2017
An oval defines the Frank Gehry-designed Pierre Boulez Saal concert hall
The hall hosted its debut concert on Saturday, March 4 with a performance by the Boulez Ensemble.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 2, 2017
The Hanoi Lotus Centre will bloom from the middle of a lake
The building will act as a symbol of growth and prosperity for the city of Hanoi.
