The Bruner Foundation Inc., sponsor of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA), today announced the five finalists for its 2015 award.Â
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.Â
The 2015 RBA finalists are:
Â
Falls Park on the Reedy - Greenville, S.C.
Photo:Â 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)
Â
Â
Grand Rapids Downtown Market – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Photo:Â 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.)
Â
Â
Miller’s Court - Baltimore, Md.
Photo:Â 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.)
Â
Â
Quixote Village - Olympia, Wash.
Photo:Â 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)
Â
Â
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)
Â
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
Cultural Facilities | Nov 17, 2021
Henning Larsen-designed Shaw Auditorium opens at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The project celebrated its grand opening as part of HKUST’s thirtieth anniversary celebration.
Cultural Facilities | Oct 19, 2021
Niagara Falls is getting a bigger Welcome Center
The GWWO Architects-designed building will mostly sit on the site of the center it replaces.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Oct 13, 2021
Restoration of Ramova Theater in Chicago’s Bridgeport Neighborhood begins
The building was originally built in 1929.
Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021
2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.
The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021
White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners
A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 2, 2021
A new venue for the San Diego Symphony’s outdoor performances opens this week
Rady Shell at Jacobs Park was funded almost entirely by private donors.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 28, 2021
Maine’s Children’s Museum & Theatre moves into new location that doubles its size
Interactive exhibits are among its features.
Resiliency | Jun 24, 2021
Oceanographer John Englander talks resiliency and buildings [new on HorizonTV]
New on HorizonTV, oceanographer John Englander discusses his latest book, which warns that, regardless of resilience efforts, sea levels will rise by meters in the coming decades. Adaptation, he says, is the key to future building design and construction.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 3, 2021
Student Housing Trends 2021-2022
In this exclusive video interview for HorizonTV, Fred Pierce, CEO of Pierce Education Properties, developer and manager of off-campus student residences, chats with Rob Cassidy, Editor, MULTIFAMILY Design + Construction about student housing during the pandemic and what to expect for on-campus and off-campus housing in Fall 2021 and into 2022.
Digital Twin | May 24, 2021
Digital twin’s value propositions for the built environment, explained
Ernst & Young’s white paper makes its cases for the technology’s myriad benefits.