6 of the World's Best Public Spaces

An annual competition to recognize public spaces for their economic and social benefit has announced six finalists.

1 minute read

June 13, 2015, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Millennium Park Fountain

f11photo / Shutterstock

"Selected from entries representing urban areas all over the world, six parks were named finalists in the Urban Open Space Award competition, the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) annual contest to recognize successful large- and small-scale public spaces that have socially and economically enriched their surrounding communities," according to a post by Caroline Massie.

"This year’s six shortlisted projects are the Marina Bay in Singapore; Millennium Park in Chicago; Myriad Gardens in Oklahoma City, Okla.; Thousand Lantern Lake Park System in Foshan, Guangdong, China; Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square in Santa Monica, Calif.; and Washington Canal Park in Washington, D.C."

To be eligible for the competition, the public space must have been open to the public between one and 15 years and be predominantly outdoors, in addition to a host of other qualifications. The article includes photos of each of the six finalists and information on the final award.

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