Best in urban planning recognized at AIA Regional & Urban Design Award 2026

The American Institute of Architects has announced the winners of its 2026 Regional & Urban Design Award. Five schemes were honored in this year's edition of the award, which are “recognized as the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development.”

The awards come days after the AIA also selected the best in contemporary architecture at the 2026 AIA Architecture Awards. Meanwhile, the best new interiors of the year were honored at the AIA Interior Architecture Awards, and the best in residential architecture was honored at the AIA Housing Award. You can compare the projects recognized this year to those of previous years by following our ongoing coverage of the series here.  

In the meantime, the winners of the Regional & Urban Design Award 2026 are as follows: 

Downtown Cary Park in Cary, NC by Machado and Silvetti and OJB Landscape Architecture

Project excerpt: A cohesive assemblage of landscape and architecture, this downtown urban park—envisioned for twenty years and newly completed—is a study in program, tectonics, formal articulations, and circulation. A central Great Lawn Pavilion works as an urban stage, while other pavilions—including the sinuous Bark Bar and the more enclosed Academy Pavilion—come into conversation with each other and their surroundings, drawing the public in and through this lively new urban space at the center of the town’s historic core. Landscape and hardscape work in concert with each pavilion, creating a space for connection and community.

India Basin Waterfront Park in San Francisco, CA by Jensen Architects

Project excerpt: India Basin Waterfront Park transforms a post-industrial brownfield into a 21st-century legacy park in a historic waterfront context and offers winding trails, habitat restoration, waterfront recreation, equitable shore access, and is designed for resiliency to sea level rise. Drawing inspiration from the historic marineways once used to repair boats on the site, the park provides a large lawn for active play and group gatherings, a native landscape of upland sage and shoreline planting, the restoration of the Shipwright’s Cottage, a floating dock, two new public piers, and new food pavilion, community boat building, and operations/maintenance building.

Monterrey Tec Innovation Ecosystem in Monterrey, Mexico by Sasaki Associates, Inc.

Project excerpt: Leadership at Monterrey Tec is committed to positioning the university as a catalyst for regeneration of higher education and of the connections between universities, their communities, and the Mexican economy. The Innovation District represents a leap in establishing the Tec as a clear national leader in entrepreneurship. It creates - in the context of a dynamic mixed-use development - an ecosystem that fosters strong ties between academia, allied industries, and the community. With the Expedition and Innovation Hub buildings as its anchor, the district offers housing, offices, labs and community uses, all connected by a network of verdant public spaces and streets.

The Bay: “One Park for All” in Sarasota, FL by Sweet Sparkman/Agency Landscape + Planning

Project excerpt: A compelling first phase following an unprecedented and inclusive master planning process, The Bay is the City of Sarasota’s first signature waterfront park. This 10-acre park brings together active, changing spaces for Sarasota’s diverse community, regional trail and mobility connections, and intimate places of deep nature immersion within the City. Conceived as an active, sustainable gathering place for Sarasota’s diverse community, the park is a model of environmental stewardship, a highly-anticipated realization of a community-driven vision, and a well-crafted expression of Sarasota’s heritage. The Bay is a legacy destination now, and for many generations to come.

Seattle Waterfront Park in Seattle, WA by Field Operations

Project excerpt: Waterfront Park reconnects Seattle with its waterfront for the first time since 1949. Following the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and seawall reconstruction in 2019, the 1.5-mile urban framework plan establishes character zones, nodes, and linkages that honor adjacent neighborhood identities while capitalizing on unique waterfront conditions. A generous pedestrian promenade forms the core of the project. The project includes a new infrastructure corridor, green street, and significant public spaces and amenities, including integrated stormwater management, native-based gardens, kiosks and wayfinding, historic railings, redesigned piers, and new pedestrian connections, reclaiming the waterfront and reconnecting the city with Elliott Bay.