CNU Charter Awards 2009

Year after year, two types of development leave profoundly different impressions on the United States and countries across the world.

Conventional sprawl makes us captives of fossil fuels and generates enormous amounts of carbon emissions. It erodes the bonds of community and strains the connection between cities and the rural areas that help sustain them.

The revival of urbanism, by contrast, produces places of enduring delight, value, and resiliency. It strengthens communities by creating the physical setting for rich public life and by working to connect people of diverse backgrounds with housing options, equitable transportation, and access to opportunity. And by providing people with convenient, livable, low-carbon alternatives to sprawl, it is a remedy our planet needs—a vital way to green the American Dream.

The Congress for the New Urbanism’s Charter Awards recognize excellence in architectural, landscape, and urban designs built in harmony with their physical, environmental, and social contexts as well as the publications, policies, plans, and codes that structure them. Submissions are judged by a jury of distinguished urbanists on the extent to which they fulfill and advance the principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism, which defines the essential qualities of outstanding built and natural environments from the scale of the region to the building and block.

CNU recognizes awards on its web site, in news releases, in a publication that profiles all winning entries, and at an annual awards ceremony. This year’s ceremony will be held during CNU’S 17th ANNUAL CONGRESS, which runs from June 10-13, 2009 in Denver, Colorado.

Academic Awards: Students, and faculty advising them, are invited to submit entries to the Charter Awards. Submissions may be initiated by faculty (for the work of an entire class and their role in shaping it), or by degree-seeking students in any discipline that contributes to the shaping of the built environment. These submissions have a slightly different submission procedure detailed at cnu.org/studentawards.

Deadline and Fees: The entry fee is $200 per project for CNU members and $300 per project for non-members. Student and faculty submissions are $50 per project, which includes a one-year CNU student membership.

www.cnu.org/awards