Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design

Photo by Timothy Schenck/Courtesy of Friends of the High Line

Awarded biennially, the Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design is the foremost award recognizing achievement in this field.

The Veronica Rudge Green Prize recognizes exemplary urban design projects realized anywhere in the world within the past ten years, with the understanding that such projects often require many years before they are able to demonstrate impacts. Projects must be more than one building or an open space, and are evaluated in terms of their contributions to the public realm and to quality of urban life. The project must also demonstrate a humane and worthwhile direction for the design of urban environments.

The award was established in 1986 on the occasion of Harvard University’s 350th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Graduate School of Design. Nominations for the prize are received from the GSD’s extensive network of academics and urban design professionals.

History of the prize

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“Since its inception in 1986, the Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design has become an important aspect of our School’s life. It is in fact one of the few opportunities we have left, institutionally speaking, to pause for a moment and take a good hard look at what’s going on out there in the world, to take stock of how problems of urban design are being formulated and tackled, and what practices seem to be more successful than others. In a corollary fashion, the prize also allows the School to define itself, especially with respect to those essential values it holds dear.”

Peter G. Rowe,
Raymond Garbe Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor


Past Recipients

2025

Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) campus

Bugesera, Rwanda
MASS

Educating the next generation of farmers and leaders in sustainable food systems.

An aerial view of several buildings on the RICA campus in Rwanda.

2023

Grand Paris Express

Paris, France
Société du Grand Paris

A large-scale transit project built in and around the Paris metropolitan area.

GPE Train Coach

2017

High Line

New York City, New York
Friends of the High Line

A public park built on an abandoned elevated railroad is a testament to innovative urban transformation and adaptive reuse.

2015

Madrid Río

Madrid, Spain
Ginés Garrido of Burgos & Garrido with Porras La Casta, Rubio & Álvarez-Sala, and West 8

Creating an expansive recreational and cultural public space parallel to the River Manzanares.

An overhead view of the Salón de Pinos.

2013 (Joint Recipient)

Metro do Porto

Porto, Portugal
Eduardo Souto de Moura with the Metro do Porto

A heavy-infrastructure project of significant scale and complexity that was revolutionary in public transport in the metropolitan area of Porto.

Overhead view of the Dom Luís Bridge connecting Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia

2013 (Joint Recipient)

Northeastern Urban Integration Project

Medellín, Colombia
City of Medellín, Alejandro Echeverri, and Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano

Harnessing opportunities presented by a new cable-car to connect three informal settlements to the metropolitan transit system.

View over Medellín from the Comuna 13.

2010

Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project

Seoul, South Korea
Seoul Metropolitan Government

Evolving the Cheonggyecheon River from an outmoded utilitarian highway into a multipurpose performative infrastructure.

People walking along the Cheong Gye Cheon Stream in Seoul.

2007

Olympic Sculpture Park

Seattle, Washington
Weiss/Manfredi

A new urban model for sculpture parks that not only brings art outside the museum walls but also brings the park into the landscape of the city.

Zigzag pathway with a sculpture in the middle. "Olympic Sculpture Park in Fall 1" by Cedar777 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

2005

Rehabilitation of the Old City of Aleppo

Aleppo, Syria
City of Aleppo

Urban rehabilitation within a historical context, with a primary focus on restoring the urban fabric rather than solely rebuilding monuments.

Exterior of old city building in Aleppo, Syria with two men sitting outside. "Aleppo Old City Rehabilitation Office 0101" by Dosseman is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

2002

Borneo Sporenburg Residential Waterfront

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Adriaan Geuze/West 8

Two harbor peninsulas undergo a massive transformation into a residential neighborhood.

Photo of a red metal bridge extending over a river in Amsterdam. "Amsterdam Python Bridge 14" by Zairon is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

2000

Favela-Bairro Project

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jorge Mario Jáuregui

Seeks to turn the blighted areas of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas into functioning neighborhoods, or bairros.

1998 (Joint Recipient)

Bilbao Metro

Bizkaia, Spain
Foster + Partners

A metro system that simplifies the traveler’s journey through easily understandable structures that prioritize comfort and spacial orientation.

Glass entrance to Bagatza metro station. "Metro bilbao bagatza" by Ardo Beltz 15:32, 22 January 2006 (UTC) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

1998 (Joint Recipient)

Carré d’Art

Nîmes, France
Foster + Partners

Navigating the delicate balance between modern architecture and the historical significance of city centers.

Exterior of the Maison Carree and the Carré d'Art across the street in Nîmes, France."La Maison Carrée et le Carré d'Art" by grego1402 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

1996 (Joint Recipient)

Historic Center of Mexico City

Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City

Transitioning Mexico City from a state of deterioration, disinvestment, and depopulation to a vibrant urban experience.

Exterior of Zocalo Cathedral in Mexico City. "Zocalo cathedral" by Adrian Sampson from Bainbridge Island, WA, USA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

1996 (Joint Recipient)

Xochimilco District

Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City

The Xochimilco Ecological Park is an effort to restore the Valley of Mexico’s physical and cultural heritage.

Aerial view of park with visible pathways, green spaces, and water. "Aerial View Park" by Daani tru is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1993 (Joint Recipient)

Hillside Terrace Complex

Tokyo, Japan
Fumihiko Maki

Developing a strip of land in a fashionable neighborhood into a residential, commercial, and public space that is best suited to its location.

Exterior of Hillside Terrace complex building, with steps leading up to it and a sidewalk on the right. "Hillside Terrace D 2010" by Wiiii is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

1993 (Joint Recipient)

Monte Carasso Master Plan

Monte Carasso, Switzerland
Luigi Snozzi

Turning the historic village of Monte Carasso into a town with central public spaces that reshaped its expansion.

Exterior of parish complex and Church of Monte Carasso. "File:Convento delle agostiniane a Monte Carasso, progetto di Luigi Snozzi, veduta con campanile della chiesa dei santi Bernardino e Girolamo.jpg" by Flautor is marked with CC0 1.0.

1990

Urban Public Spaces

Barcelona, Spain
City of Barcelona

Enhancing the quality of life through the public realm and the access to areas for leisure and social activities.

Aerial view of the Plaza del Sol in Barcelona on a sunny day, with people sitting in the plaza. "Aerial view of Plaza del Sol in Barcelona" by Mattsjc is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

1988 (Joint Recipient)

Byker Redevelopment

Newcastle, England
Ralph Erskine

A bold, sprawling urban project which proposes a sense of community identity in the design of public housing and open space.

South side of Byker Wall on a sunny day. "Long Headlam, south side of Byker Wall - geograph.org.uk - 1776413" by Andrew Curtis is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

1988 (Joint Recipient)

Malagueira Quarter Housing Project

Évora, Portugal
Álvaro Siza Vieira

Creating social housing that respects history and the environment while building community.

Exterior view of white housing structure and cement aqueduct. "Bairro Malagueira 2 (Evora)" by Torchondo from Sevilla, España is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Related Publications

Image Credits

Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) campus: Photo by Iwan Baan.

Grand Paris Express: Photo by Leticia Ponctual, 2022

Olympic Sculpture Park: Photo by Cedar777 / CC BY.

Rehabilitation of the Old City of Aleppo: Photo by Dosseman / CC BY.

Borneo Sporenburg Residential Waterfront: Photo by Zairon / CC BY.

Bilbao Metro: Photo by Ardo Beltz / CC BY.

Carré d’Art: Photo by grego1402 / CC BY.

Historic Center of Mexico City: Photo by Adrian Sampson from Bainbridge Island, WA, USA / CC BY.

Xochimilco District: Photo by Daani tru / CC BY.

Hillside Terrace Complex: Photo by Wiiii / CC BY.

Monte Carasso Master Plan: Photo by Flautor / CC BY.

Urban Public Spaces: Photo by Mattsjc / CC BY.

Byker Redevelopment: Photo by Andrew Curtis / CC BY.

Malagueira Quarter Housing Project: Photo by Torchondo from Sevilla, España / CC BY.

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