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WASHINGTON (October 14, 2010) — Five outstanding developments have been selected as winners of the 2010 Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence competition, widely recognized as the land use industry’s most prestigious recognition program. The winners are: LA LIVE, Los Angeles; Miasteczko Wilanów, Warsaw, Poland; Rouse Hill Town Centre, Rouse Hill, Australia; The Southern Ridges, Singapore; and Thin Flats, Philadelphia.

The competition is part of the Institute’s Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979, which is based on ULI’s guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI’s Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial success.

The winners were announced today during the ULI Fall Meeting in Washington DC. “While each of 2010 winners is unique in craft, they all raise the design standard for their own region of the world,” said 2010 Global Awards for Excellence Jury Chairman Joseph E. Brown, Group Chief Executive of AECOM in San Francisco. “People sometimes think that challenging economic times results in low quality development; however, it often leads to the most creativity and this year’s winners are proof that great projects are still being executed globally. Each of the winning projects captures the spirit of the local community while maintaining elegance and originality.”

According to ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips, the award winners illustrate that well-designed, well-built projects can thrive even in the most challenging of economic times. “These global winners showcase the best in creativity, innovation, and long-term thinking,” Phillips said. “The ULI Awards for Excellence program is a timely reminder of the key difference responsible land use can make in terms of community longevity and sustainability.”

The 2010 winners were selected from 19 worldwide finalists, all of whom were winners in their region: The Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. The global awards jury evaluated these projects with additional criteria, including: innovative concepts that can be emulated around the world; strong urban design; response to the surrounding environment; and design that contributes to a livable, sustainable development that demonstrates relevance to the needs of the community.

The 2010 Global Awards for Excellence winners (developers in parentheses):

• LA LIVE, Los Angeles, California (AEG): The $2.5 billion LA LIVE is a 5-million-square-foot entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, creating a 24-hour destination and sparking further private development in a formerly underdeveloped area of the city. The project implements sustainability, mass transit, and a vibrant streetscape while helping to bring over 600 live sports, concerts, major awards telecasts, family shows and corporate events to the 35-acre campus.
• Miasteczko Wilanów, Warsaw, Poland (Prokom Investments with IN-VI Investment Environments development consultant): Miasteczko Wilanów is the ongoing construction of a coherent neighborhood on 169 hectares within the boundaries of the city of Warsaw. The project is a community of retail, office, entertainment, and single family homes. Miasteczko Wilanów is a long-term project, a mid rise, mixed use, socially inclusive, architecturally rich, street and pedestrian oriented district that is now home to over 20,000 residents of different generations and backgrounds.
• Rouse Hill Town Centre, Rouse Hill, Australia (The GPT Group): Rouse Hill Town Centre, an ecologically-conscious regional shopping center, features more than 210 retailers, 104 apartments, 2,800 square meters of office space, ten restaurants, and a cinema. The development incorporates sustainable design, great architecture, retail, and active public spaces to deliver an authentic Australian town center.
• The Southern Ridges, Singapore (Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore): The Southern Ridges is a nine-kilometer chain of open spaces that connects the rolling hills of three existing parks. The project, visited by more than a million people since its opening, creates a rare contiguous recreational space in densely populated Singapore. Through careful planning and the innovative use of limited space, the project mixes elevated walkways, nature trails, and bridges to create an attractive public space.
• Thin Flats, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Onion Flats): Certified LEED for Homes Platinum, Thin Flats is an eight-unit infill development in north Philadelphia that uses solar hot water heating, green roofing, and rainwater harvesting to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 50 percent. The development’s architectural design was inspired by the Philadelphia “Row” home, while reconfiguring the relationship between the interior and exterior.

The 2010 Global Awards for Excellence winners were selected by a jury of renowned land use development and design experts. In addition to Jury Chairman Joseph E. Brown, other members were Richard Gollis, principal, The Concord Group LLC, Newport Beach; Nick Brooke, chairman, Professional Property Services Ltd., Hong Kong; Ian Hawksworth, managing director, Capital & Counties, London; and Marty Jones, president, Corcoran Jennison Companies, Boston.

Over the years, the Awards for Excellence program has evolved from recognition of one development in North America to an international competition with multiple winners. The ULI Awards for Excellence: Europe was added in 2004 and in 2005, the ULI Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific was added. Throughout the program’s history all types of projects have been recognized for their excellence, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed-use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.