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2001 ULI J.C. Nichols Prize Winner — Daniel Patrick Moynihan
August 3, 2001
Former U.S. Senator
The recipient of the second annual Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, funded by an endowment from the J.C. Nichols family, was former U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat who represented the state of New York from 1977 until 2001, and who spent more than four decades in public service. The former senator was selected by a jury of five renowned urban experts: Robert C. Larson, chairman of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors, LLC, in New York City and chairman of the ULI Foundation; Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for the New Yorker magazine in New York City; Alex Krieger, professor of urban design, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Jaquelin Robertson, partner, Cooper Robertson and Partners, New York City; and Harvey Gantt, partner, Gantt Huberman Architects, Charlotte, North Carolina. Moynihan’s lifetime record of thoughtful leadership, innovation, public advocacy, and private persuasion on community livability issues made him a “compelling choice” to receive the 2001 ULI J.C. Nichols Prize, Larson said. “The Nichols Prize recognizes individuals with leadership impact, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan has been exceptionally effective as a tireless advocate for enlightened urban development. He not only practices what he preaches, but he influences others as well,” Larson said. “Throughout his career, as an author, as an adviser and a counselor to United States presidents, and as a highly influential senator, Moynihan has been an articulate and enlightened advocate for urban America.”
Moynihan and last year’s prize winner, Charleston, South Carolina, Mayor Joseph P. Riley, both have a strong appreciation of the value of the public realm, Goldberger explained. “Pat Moynihan and Joe Riley share a belief that urban design is not just about making things pretty to make some architects happy,” Goldberger said. “They know it’s about making public places that make the daily rituals of life—going to work, coming home, shopping, walking on the street—easier, more exciting, perhaps even more inspiring.” The Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development was established in January 2000 to recognize an individual or a person representing an institution whose career demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of responsible development. The $100,000 prize honors the legacy of legendary Kansas City, Missouri, developer J.C. Nichols (1880-1950), a founding ULI member widely regarded as one of America’s most influential entrepreneurs in land use during the first half of the 20th century.
Through this distinguished recognition program, ULI honors those who provide unique leadership by inspiring urban development that enhances the overall quality of life in America’s communities. As a developer, Nichols pioneered the development of sustainable communities. In the early 1900s, he initiated mass-market, high-quality suburban neighborhoods that were built for permanence. Attesting to his enduring legacy in Kansas City are the Country Club district, a model residential community; the Country Club Plaza, a 78-year-old shopping center and multiuse development; and numerous well-preserved suburban communities south of downtown Kansas City.