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Yerba Buena Gardens 1999 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Gold Medal
Yerba Buena Gardens is the redevelopment of 87 run-down acres in San Francisco’s South of Market district into a vibrant cultural community and downtown destination. Considered an “oasis” in the city, the project focuses on three areas: arts and urban amenities, economic development, and community development and social justice. The result is cultural community with dozens of museums and galleries, a 10-acre complex of children’s facilities, and nearly six acres of public gardens in a network of open space in an area once slated for demolition. Low-income and market-rate rental and residential condominiums, several high-rise office buildings, hotels, and a convention center have spurred economic development and neighborhood stability and help support a thriving tourism industry.
The design of Yerba Buena Gardens reflects the priorities of neighborhood residents with public green space, dozens of community amenities, and emphasis on culture and diversity. The work was made possible by a series of public-private partnerships and a strong coalition of self-governing stakeholder organizations that manage Yerba Buena Gardens.
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ARTScorpsLA 1999 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
ARTScorpsLA (ACLA), a community-based program in Los Angeles, fosters creativity and community by turning abandoned lots into art parks and gathering places. Established in 1992 as a nonprofit associated with the University of Southern California, ACLA was a response to civil unrest in the area. Its mission is to revitalize local communities and empower residents by facilitating innovative uses of land, developing creativity, and fostering community involvement and pride.
ACLA’s artistic, sculptural, and landscape projects typically involve young adults and require connection, collaboration, and cooperation. A series of art parks designed and built by residents reclaim neglected areas through creative placemaking that celebrates their diverse community. And as part of a city-wide anti-graffiti initiative, ACLA created nearly 28 murals that help beautify and unite the neighborhood. Workshop space and programs create a training ground and educational opportunities for local youth, helping to create long-term impact on the community.
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National AIDS Memorial Grove 1999 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
The National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco is a living memorial to the AIDS epidemic offering a safe space for community grieving and communal healing. For nearly two decades, the city was devastated by the AIDS epidemic. The Memorial Grove transformed an abandoned seven-acre site in Golden Gate Park into gardens and open spaces designed to honor those who have died of AIDS, support those who are living with AIDS/HIV, and comfort those who have lost friends and family to the disease.
The Memorial Grove offers an alternative to individual or isolated mourning by providing a safe public space to grieve, reflect, and share the stories of victims and survivors. Volunteer days bring the community together to upgrade and maintain the park, and a permanent endowment has been established to ensure the park’s continued service to the community as a source of hope, healing, and inspiration.
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Parkside Preservation 1999 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
The Parkside Historic Preservation project in Philadelphia revitalized Parkside Avenue by repurposing abandoned Victorian mansions to create low-income housing. The restoration brought much-needed affordable housing to a neighborhood struggling with poverty, abandonment, and depopulation. Spearheaded by the nonprofit Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation, the project preserves the elegant architecture of 16 late nineteenth-century mansions to provide 82 high-quality units that combat the social stigma of low-income housing.
The Parkside project also includes programs to support conservation, economic development, and social justice, including a commitment to retain original neighborhood residents and to invite community participation as much as possible. In its effort to truly serve the population, Parkside welcomes all residents in need, including those with HIV/AIDS, the mentally ill, and the physically disabled.
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Portland Public Market 1999 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
The indoor Portland Public Market in Portland, Maine, featured local products and produce to support small family farms and strengthen the local economy. With room for 28 permanent vendors and eight smaller day tables, the market was built to function year-round and provide a central space for local food producers.
Although it closed in 2006, the market had ambitious goals for revitalizing a marginalized neighborhood and offered a new model for philanthropic intervention in downtown development.
Constructed on the site of an old parking lot on space donated by local philanthropist Elizabeth Noyce, the Portland Public Market was built with local timber and glass and hired only local contractors. It was designed not only to provide a venue for small farmers and independent food producers but also to create an inviting public gathering space that celebrated the local food system. Educational programs such as cooking classes for adults and children supported the goal of encouraging residents to eat fresh and buy locally, and a collaboration with a neighboring soup kitchen resulted in a successful retail soup shop and job training program. The market also became a significant tourist attraction and helped increase traffic at the nearby outdoor market.
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Yerba Buena Gardens case study
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ARTScorpsLA case study
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National AIDS Memorial Grove case study
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Parkside Preservation case study
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Portland Public Market case study
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Yerba Buena Gardens application
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ARTScorpsLA application
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National AIDS Memorial Grove application
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Parkside Preservation application
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Portland Public Market application
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Commitment to Place: Urban Excellence & Community 1999 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence
