The Congress for the New Urbanism has announced this year's 9 recipients and 4 honorable mentions recognized by its 2012 Charter Awards.
According to Robert Steuteville, "The Charter Awards are the only design awards that combine architecture, landscape design, planning, and urban design at all scales, from the building to neighborhood, and city to region."
This year's winners, from locations around the world, "represent many design challenges taken on by urbanists, including agrarian urbanism, public housing redevelopment, fitting big box stores downtown, revitalization of suburban and urban neighborhoods, civic architecture that enhances the street, and much more," writes Steuteville.
The Grand Prize went to Verkykerskop, "a small-scale agricultural town" in Free State Province, South Africa, designed by Gary White & Associates and noted as the first "socio-economically inclusive town to be established in a significant post-apartheid rebuilding effort."
Also receiving awards were the design for The New Wyvernwood, a mixed-use community in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, by Torti, Gallas and Partners; a new public library for Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed by William Rawn Associates with Ann Beha Architects; and The New Faubourg Lafitte in New Orleans, by Urban Design Associates.
Read the full story: It's Charter Awards time!
The Dividing Line Between Good and Bad Density
Not all density is good, according to the participants at recent event hosted by the Congress for the New Urbanism’s District of Columbia chapter, and examples of new developments cross the line all over the world.
Why Christopher Alexander Still Matters
The author of "A Pattern Language" and "Notes on the Synthesis of Form" had an outsize influence far beyond architecture and urbanism—and still does.
Christopher Alexander, Influential Author of "A Pattern Language," Passes Away at 85
Christopher Alexander died on March 17, leaving behind a towering legacy of influence on the fields of architecture, planning, and urban design.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority