TORONTO: The 2021 Toronto Urban Design Awards submissions are now open. The Entry Deadline is Noon, Monday, April 26, 2021.
Every other year, the City of Toronto holds Urban Design Awards to acknowledge the significant contribution that architects, landscape architects, urban designers, artists, design students, and city builders make to the look and livability of our city.
The awards competition offers the opportunity to receive citywide recognition from a jury of urban visionaries.
About the Program
The 2021 Toronto Urban Design Awards program acknowledges and celebrates those who are helping to improve communities by shaping the physical environment and recognizes the significant contribution that architects, landscape architects, urban designers, artists, design students and city builders make to the look and livability of the city. The Toronto Urban Design Awards recognize and award achievement in seven categories.
Submission Criteria
Eligibility requirements are listed below:
• You may nominate any place, project or public art installation that demonstrates excellence in urban design for a Toronto Urban Design Award.
• Entries in all categories must be located within the boundaries of the City of Toronto. Other than Visions & Master Plans and Student Projects, they must be fully implemented or built at the time of submission. No project should be older than five years (i.e. projects published or completed before 2016 are ineligible).
• Design professionals/authors of the project, clients, owners, community groups and residents may nominate works for the jury’s consideration.
• Projects funded by the City of Toronto and designed/prepared by consultants are eligible for awards.
• Previous winning entries of the Toronto Urban Design Awards are not eligible, with the exception of past winners in the Visions & Master Plans category entering a now built project into the appropriate building/open space category. Previous non-winning entries are eligible.
• Members of Toronto City Council, employees of the City of Toronto, jury members, and their families are not eligible to enter. Applications from underrepresented groups is an asset – Indigenous, Black and equity-seeking groups. The primary criteria for assessing the merit of all entries will be:
• Positive contribution to the public realm/quality of place
• Successful integration with surrounding urban fabric (both urban and suburban contexts)
• Precedent setting for a project of its type through major innovation/design excellence
• Exemplary application of the City of Toronto’s Urban Design Guideline documents
• Incorporation of barrier-free design or improvement to the accessibility of the built environment and public spaces
• Positive contribution to a sustainable environment, including enhancement of pedestrian, cycling, and transit infrastructure and application of the Toronto Green Standard Jury members will give special consideration to the broad goals of urban design projects that support equity, affordability and resilience, accessibility, integration and preservation of heritage resources, environmental sustainability, public art, and that contribute to the City of Toronto’s goals of re-urbanization.