The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) was established in 1986 by Cambridge, Massachusetts architect Simeon Bruner. The award is named after Simeon Bruner's late father, Rudy Bruner, founder of the Bruner Foundation. According to the Bruner Foundation, the RBA was created to increase understanding of the role of architecture in the urban environment and promote discussion of what constitutes urban excellence. The award seeks to identify and honor places, rather than people, that address economic and social concerns along with urban design.
Description
According to the Bruner Foundation, the award is intended to be a platform for the discussion of issues related to urban architecture, planning and revitalization. It has been recognized by the United States Conference of Mayors, The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Design Research Association.
The biennial award recognizes one Gold Medal and four silver medal winners each cycle. Each medalist is documented with a detailed case study published online and in a book by the Bruner Foundation. The gold medal winner receives $50,000 and the four silver medalists each receive $10,000 which must be used to benefit the project. These winners are chosen by a diverse committee of professionals involved in design and development. These committee members include architects, landscape architects, planners, developers, community organizers, financiers, and the mayor of a major metropolitan area.
Criteria and selection process
The selection process involves a study of a project's effect on its urban environment including a detailed application, discussion by selection committee members, and site visits to finalist projects. A selection committee is organized anew for each award cycle.
In order to be eligible for consideration, projects must be: an actual place, not just a plan or a program; completed and in operation for sufficient amount of time to demonstrate success located in the continental US
There are no distinct categories. Projects may include any type that makes a positive contribution to the urban environment. Urban environment is broadly defined to include cities, towns, neighborhoods, counties and/or regions. Previous applicants and honorable mention winners may apply up to three times. Previous winners are not eligible.
Resources
In 1998 the University at Buffalo collaborated with the Bruner Foundation and the Urban Design Project of the School of Architecture and Planning to create a digital archive, making data gathered in reference to past winners of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence accessible to the public. The goal of this archive is to allow public "access to award winning and fully documented urban design case studies as a resource for architecture students and practitioners as they study precedents in urban design." The Digital Archive is managed by the UB Institutional Repository.
The Bruner Foundation has published fifteen books containing detailed case studies of award-winning projects.
List of winners
2019 Gold Medal
Crosstown Concourse, Memphis, TN
2017 Gold Medal
SteelStacks Arts and Cultural Campus, Bethlehem, PA
2017 Silver Medals
La Kretz Innovation Campus + Arts District Park, Los Angeles, CA
Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, Boston, MA
Iberville Offsite Rehabs I & II, New Orleans, LA
Chicago’s Riverwalk, Chicago, IL
2015 Gold Medal
Miller's Court, Baltimore, MD
2015 Silver Medals
Falls Park on the Reedy, Greenville, SC
Grand Rapids Downtown Market, Grand Rapids, MI
Quixote Village, Olympia, WA
Uptown District, Cleveland, OH
2013 Gold Medal
Inspiration Kitchens--Garfield Park, Chicago, Illinois
2013 Silver Medals
Congo Street Initiative, Dallas, Texas
Louisville Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky
The Steel Yard, Providence, Rhode Island
Via Verde, Bronx, New York
2011 Gold Medal: The Bridge Homeless Assistance Center, Dallas, Texas 2011 Silver Medals: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, New York Phoenix Civic Space Park, Phoenix, Arizona Gary Comer Youth Center/Gary Comer College Prep, Chicago, Illinois The Santa Fe Railyard Redevelopment, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 Gold Medal: Inner-City Arts, Los Angeles, California
2009 Silver Medals: Hunts Point Riverside Park, Bronx, New York Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois St. Joseph Rebuild Center, New Orleans, Louisiana The Community Chalkboard and Podium, Charlottesville, Virginia