Nominate a community improvement project for the Urban Design Awards

Designers, architects, artists and the spaces they create in our city, improve the quality of life of Calgarians; to acknowledge the important contributions of high-calibre buildings and spaces, our city has the Mayor’s Urban Design Awards. These biennial awards recognize contributions in 12 important categories, including an opportunity for you to recognize a community improvement project in your neighbourhood.

Is there a beautiful streetscape in your community? Perhaps an art installation, public garden initiative? The Community Improvement Project Award is for any built project, regardless of size, that is implemented by a community-based organization and enhancing the neighbourhood.

There are so many great community improvement projects in Calgary, and the countless community associations and organizations that spearhead these initiatives are just one of the reasons this city is such a great place to live. So why not recognize a project that has made a difference where you live?

To be eligible for nomination for the Community Improvement Project Award, the project must have been completed after January 1, 2007. The following criteria is required for this category:

• Wide community involvement: demonstration of how the community was involved and supported the project
• Positive contribution to the public space
• Conceptual clarity and execution of the improvement
• Innovation and uniqueness of the built project

If you have a community project in mind for this award, you can nominate it via the online submission form on the City of Calgary website here. Nominations are being accepted until September 18, 2015.

If you’re interested in nominating some other design projects around the city, here’s the other 11 categories accepting nominations:

• Civic Design Projects: improvement initiatives like parks or public spaces
• Approved or Adopted Urban Design Plans: approved urban design projects where physical changes have already started to occur
• ​Conceptual / Theoretical Urban Design Projects: plans for urban transformation projects that are theoretical, but could have a significant impact on Calgary’s development
• ​Urban Fragments: single, small-scale building or landscape that contributes to the quality of a public space
• ​Student Projects: urban design projects established between the City of Calgary and local school or faculty within a university
• ​City Edge Development: urban design plans, architecture or landscape designs that respond to a need in a newly developing area of Calgary
• Great City, Great Design: building and infrastructure designs, urban design plans, landscape designs, planning studies and individual site elements that contribute to the quality of life in our city
• The Mawson Urban Design Award: Buildings that achieve urban design excellence and creativity through awareness of the Calgary culture
• ​Urban Architecture: Buildings that achieve design excellence and support an existing project that enhances the urban fabric and space
• ​​Green City: buildings that achieve sustainable design while seeking to reduce energy and resource consumption of buildings in our city
• ​People’s Choice: any built project. The top 10 nominations will be included in the People’s Choice Award poll, which will be housed on Calgary.ca in October 2015

The gala event for the Mayor’s Urban Design Awards will be held on November 5, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the University of Calgary, Energy Environment Experiential Learning (EEEL) building. It is free to attend and open to the public. More information on the gala and nominations can be found online here.