Changing the Narrative: The 2019 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence

The five winners have changed the rules of standard practice and elevated issues that matter, addressing ongoing and long-term challenges faced by cities across America.

Changing the Narrative: The 2019 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence includes detailed case studies and lessons learned about the winning projects including:

• Crosstown Concourse in Memphis, TN
  Rehabilitation of an abandoned Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution center into a mixed-use vertical village and arts, education, and healthcare destination.
• Beyond Walls— Lynn, MA
  Grassroots public art and lighting initiative revitalizing a former industrial city.
• Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston, TX
  Enhancement of a historic waterway into a resilient public greenspace.
• Parisite Skatepark in New Orleans, LA
  Youth-driven DIY creation of a new public park on vacant land beneath a highway overpass.
• Sulphur Springs Downtown in Sulphur Springs, TX
  Renewal of a rural, small-town civic plaza and main street.

Lessons Learned themes include:

• Changing Attitudes, Expectations, and Perceptions About People and Places
• Innovation Is Happening in Unexpected Places
• Turning Deficits into Assets
• Practical, Replicable Design Approaches
• Addressing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Unintended Consequences of Success
• Who’s Driving Vision and Investment?