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.
FULL STORY: It's Charter Awards time!

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie