The U.S. is in the midst of an urban renaissance. People are returning to cities, sparking new investment and growth. This renewed interest in cities coincides with increasing pressure to address current challenges, including climate change and deteriorating infrastructure, and to repurpose former industrial sites and underused land in older urban centers.
Since 1987, the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) has recognized seminal projects that demonstrate the ability of such developments to integrate ambitious social agendas. Collectively, the RBA awardees illustrate the contributions that design makes to the economic, environmental, and social vitality of cities and provide insight into urban evolution and the impact of thoughtful planning and design.
The RBA process has revealed five common attributes of transformative development in urban placemaking: the role of visionary leadership; the value of collaborative partnerships; the benefits of engaging and empowering communities; the importance of anchoring projects in their unique culture and place; and the return on investment of design excellence.
Two recent RBA medalists illustrate how developers and designers are tackling big urban challenges via investment in “urban infrastructure.” Together, these efforts are helping to create and sustain equitable, healthy, and socio-economically vibrant cities.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to:
• Describe examples of urban development that contribute to the economic, environmental, and social vitality of cities.
• Identify common characteristics and lessons learned from exemplary urban projects.
• Describe the role of visionary leadership and collaboration in creating places that promote inclusiveness and equity.
• Describe how innovative public private partnerships and investment can facilitate access to resources and empower and regenerate communities.
TAKE THIS AIA COURSE AT BDCUNIVERSITY
Related Stories
Sponsored | Building Enclosure Systems | May 16, 2023
4 steps to a better building enclosure
Dividing the outside environment from the interior, the building enclosure is one of the most important parts of the structure. The enclosure not only defines the building’s aesthetic, but also protects occupants from the elements and facilitates a comfortable, controlled climate. With dozens of components comprising the exterior assemblies, from foundation to cladding to roof, figuring out which concerns to address first can be daunting.
Sponsored | Cladding and Facade Systems | Mar 15, 2023
Metal cladding trends and innovations
Metal cladding is on a growth trajectory globally. This is reflected in rising demand for rainscreen cladding and architectural metal coatings. This course covers the latest trends and innovations in the metal cladding market.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Dec 14, 2022
Urban housing revival: 3 creative multifamily housing renovations
This continuing education course from Bruner/Cott & Associates highlights three compelling projects that involve reimagining unlikely buildings for compelling multifamily housing developments.
Sponsored | Steel Construction | Nov 7, 2022
Steel structures offer faster path to climate benefits
Faster delivery of buildings isn’t always associated with sustainability benefits or long-term value, but things are changing. An instructive case is in the development of steel structures that not only allow speedier erection times, but also can reduce embodied carbon and create durable, highly resilient building approaches.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Aug 24, 2022
Solutions for cladding performance and supply issues
This course covers design considerations and cladding assembly choices for creating high-performance building envelopes — a crucial element in healthy, energy-efficient buildings.
Sponsored | | Aug 4, 2022
Brighter vistas: Next-gen tools drive sustainability toward net zero line
New technologies, innovations, and tools are opening doors for building teams interested in better and more socially responsible design.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
6 steps to designing a modern wine display
Design-focused wine displays are becoming increasingly popular in amazing residential and commercial properties throughout the world. Top design/build professionals are using stylish wine racks and other premium materials to create wine cellars that are too beautiful to hide in out-of-the-way places like dusty basements. This course explains why wine cellars have become so popular and the key aspects of designing an appealing modern wine cellar, broken into six planning steps that should be considered during pre- or early-construction phases.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
Design guide for parapets: Safety, continuity, and the building code
This course covers design considerations for parapets. The modern parapet must provide fire protection, serve as a fall-protective guard, transition and protect the roof/facade interface, conceal rooftop equipment, and contribute to the aesthetic character of the building.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
Designing smarter places of learning
This course explains the how structural steel building systems are suited to construction of education facilities.