Announcing the 2023 Awards for Excellence Winners
Winners were among an impressive list of 13 finalists and selected by a national jury of nine experts.
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) sets the standard for recognizing outstanding and transformational land use developments, best practices, and creative visioning. Now, ULI Philadelphia honors the projects within the region with our 2025 Biennial Awards for Excellence. Winning projects represent the highest standards of achievement in the development industry and advance the ULI mission to shape the future of the built environment for positive impact in communities worldwide. The Awards recognize both development projects and programs. Among projects, the Awards recognize a wide variety of product types, including office, residential, retail, industrial, hotel, mixed-use, planned community, open space, and more. Programs are initiatives, practices, plans, or policies that guide or enhance development.
Applications for the 2025 Biennial Awards for Excellence will open in December 2024.
All submissions are reviewed by a national jury of industry leaders described below. Finalists and winners are heavily recognized in ULI Philadelphia communications as well as the Annual Awards event, which will be held on May 20, 2025. ULI Awards for Excellence celebrate the mission and lift-up high performing projects in the field.
ULI members and non-members are invited to submit applications. Private sector, public sector, and nonprofit projects are all eligible as well as all project types and sizes and land use policy initiatives. Projects must fall within the ULI Philadelphia footprint, which includes the Philadelphia metro, Central Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley, Southern New Jersey and the state of Delaware (full list of counties listed in the application). Each application will be evaluated by a panel of highly experienced ULI members who are leaders in the industry from across the country.
Jurors will evaluate program and project proposals based solely on information provided in the application. The jury is a national group generally unfamiliar with the Philadelphia region and site visits are not part of the review process. Please keep this in mind when completing your application, providing helpful neighborhood context and images. Awards will be given to projects that reflect the following selection priorities. Jury discretion will determine the final number of winners.
Individual Award nominations are evaluated by a regional jury comprised of members from ULI Philadelphia’s Awards Committee and ULI Philadelphia’s Advisory Board. Nominations will be evaluated based on the application information, supporting materials, and the jury’s regional knowledge.
Provide Context: Be mindful that the jurors are not local. Provide details to illustrate how the nominations fits into and impacts its surrounding community as well as relevant history of the site or neighborhood. A location map is required.
Focus on the description. The description should be direct and succinct, while covering as many of the selection criteria as applicable. Focus on what sets your nomination apart from others and describe the impact on its surrounding area. Provide metrics wherever possible; concrete numbers help the jury distinguish nominations from one another.
Good images are critical. Images are required for all submissions including projects, programs, and policies to use for Awards finalists announcements. Images should accurately represent the character and use of your nomination are instrumental in the jury’s decision-making process.
Once ULI Philadelphia receives your application you will be sent a link to upload your images. A minimum of two (2) and maximum of six (6) in JPG format (include at least one interior and exterior image). No videos or other formats are accepted. A minimum of one (1) and maximum of two (2) locator map(s) and one (1) site plan are required in addition to images. Images must be submitted by the application deadline.
More information coming soon
Private Sector: $300
Public or Non-profit Sector: $150
Individual Award Nominees: Free
If your organization is experiencing a financial or procedural hardship, please reach out to Alecia Caballero ([email protected]) to discuss fee waivers.
Align your organization with the best practices advancing excellence in the built environment. Explore sponsorship opportunities below for one of ULI Philadelphia’s signature events – the Awards for Excellence!
June 16, 2023
Winners were among an impressive list of 13 finalists and selected by a national jury of nine experts.
June 17, 2021
6 winners were selected among an inspiring set of 12 finalists by a national jury of experts.
June 13, 2019
Winners were among an impressive list of 13 finalists and selected by a national jury of 12 experts.
June 14, 2018
Congratulations to the 2018 ULI Philadelphia Awards for Excellence Winners.
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