The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has set the standard in recognizing outstanding and transformational land use developments, best practices and creative visioning. ULI Philadelphia will honor the projects within the region with our 4th Annual Awards for Excellence, celebrating the legacy of the late ULI Philadelphia founder and civic leader Bill Rouse.  Winning projects represent the highest standards of achievement in the development industry and advance the ULI mission of providing leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.

ULI members and non-members are invited to submit applications for awards. Private sector, public sector, and nonprofit projects are all eligible for the ULI Philadelphia Awards for Excellence, ranging in project type and size – from housing to commercial to mixed use, from open space projects to land use policy initiatives. Each application will be evaluated by a panel of national leaders in the industry, highly experienced and deeply engaged ULI members from outside the region. Jurors will review how a development or initiative demonstrates leadership, innovation, market success, sustainability, resiliency, and meets the current and future needs of its surrounding community.

Selection Criteria:

• Reflects innovation in planning and design including location, site planning, building design, site and landscape design.
• Achieves excellence in the use or development of best practices that are adaptable to other communities.
• Promotes environmental sustainability, energy reduction, or resilienc
• Improves the health of the community by offering transportation choices, access to food, quality affordable housing, employs design that promotes health, sustainability or creative placemaking (per ULI’s Building Healthy Places Initiative).
• Provides social impact by satisfying contemporary and future community needs or addressing specific neighborhood revitalization goals. Promotes effective relationships among business, government, and community stakeholders.
• Achieves economic success, market acceptance, and is financially sustainable.
• Must have been completed either in phases or entirely between March 1, 2012 – January 1, 2017. Projects previously submitted can be re-submitted, even if selected as finalists in previous years.

Download the 2017 Application here

2017 Schedule and Selection Process:

• January 30:          Submission period opens
• March 3:                All submissions due by 5:00 pm
• March/April:      Jury review period
• May 12:                 Finalists notified
• June 14:                Winners announced – 5:30 pm at The Ballroom at The Ben

Click here to see 2016 Awards winners