The Academy of Urbanism is delighted to announce the 16 outstanding individuals shortlisted by our Academicians as finalists in the 2021 Urbanism Awards.

The Academy of Urbanism Awards this year is focusing on the people who have made an outstanding contribution to our towns and cities.

Having spent 15 years focusing on awards for place, and uncertain about the restrictions that the pandemic will place on this year’s awards, we decided that in 2021 we will focus on people.

The five categories cover everything from politicians and public officials to community activists, professionals and academics. These are the people that we have met and been inspired by over the last 15 years of visiting great places.

We know that towns and cities are the work of many hands and it is invidious to single out one person. However, at the same time, we have met lots of people without whom a place would not have achieved what it has. People who have gone above and beyond what was expected of them, who have shown drive, imagination and leadership to transform a place.

The winners will be announced at The Urbanism Awards Ceremony on 24 November 2021. Click the link below to book your tickets.

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The 2021 Urbanism Awards finalists are:

Civic Leader Finalists:

David Cowan
Head of Regeneration Unit, Scottish Government

Anuela Ristani
Deputy Mayor Tirana, Albania

Bart Somers
Mayor of Mechelen, Belgium & Vice Minister-President of the Flemish Government

Civic Servant Finalists:

Dick Gleeson
Former Dublin City Planner, Dublin City Council

Daisy Narayanan
Senior Manager - Placemaking & Mobility, City of Edinburgh Council

Tina Saaby
City Architect, Gladsaxe & Former City Architect, Copenhagen

Community Activist Finalists:

Dr Kerry Harker
Founder & Artistic Director, East Leeds Project

Yvonne Lawson MBE
Director, Godwin Lawson Foundation

Abdul Malik
Entrepreneur, Politician, Community Ambassador

Pam Warhurst CBE
Vice President, TCPA and Co-founder & Chair, Incredible Edible

Urban Re-Inventor Finalists:

Dr Nicolas Falk BA MBA
Founder of URBED & Executive Director of The URBED Trust

Roger Madelin CBE
Joint Head, Canada Water

Sue Riddlestone OBE
Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Bioregional

Urban Thinker Finalists:

Greg Clark CBE FAcSS
HSBC Group Advisor, Chair, Connected Places Catapult, Chair, UK Cities Climate Investment Commission, TfL Board Member, and author/broadcaster

Anne Power
Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Head of LSE Housing and Communities

Orla Murphy B.Arch M.RIAI
Assistant Professor, University College Dublin & Director, UCD Centre for Irish Towns and Founder, Custom Architecture

This year the Urbanism Awards process will be as follows:

  1. Members of the Academy were asked to nominate outstanding individuals for each of the five categories.
  2. All nominees were approached individually to see if they would like to participate in the Awards process. The deadline to reply was 13 September 2021.
  3. Voting packs were sent out. Voting opened 21 September – 5 October 2021 to Academicians in a secret ballot, to choose a shortlist of three. 
  4. Assessment panels will have conversations with the three finalists in each category. With permission, these meetings will be recorded and shared on our website at a later stage.
  5. Assessment panels will decide on this year's winners in each category.
  6. The winners will be announced at The Urbanism Award's Ceremony on Wednesday, 24 November 2021.


For more information on the Awards process, please contact Cailin Murphy [email protected]

The Academy of Urbanism (Number 2) Limited is a not-for-profit organisation limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales 0595604, 11c Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 IXE, United Kingdom.
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