The Urbanism Awards

The Urbanism Awards are the Academy’s primary platform for recognising the best, most enduring or most improved urban environments.

We have visited, assessed and celebrated outstanding examples of good urbanism across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

As well as providing a means to build relationships with places that are doing good work, the Awards help us to build a strong evidence base for high quality, innovative and sustainable urbanism, which we share online, in print and at events.

Great Place Archive

Porto, The European City of the Year 2020

Criteria

During each assessment visit we look at the following areas

1. Leadership and Governance: Is the place well managed, inclusive, fair?

2. Local Character: To what extent does the place provide a distinctive sense of place, identity and cultural resonance?

3. Amenity: To what extent is the place an attractive, safe and enticing place for people to live, work, play, visit and enjoy?

4. Commercial Success & Viability: To what extent does the place provide a conducive environment for wealth creation and distribution and is it able to support the maintenance and improvement of its urban environment?

5. Environmental Sustainability: To what extent does the place exhibit and promote environmental sustainability?

6. Community, Health and Wellbeing: To what extent does the place exhibit and promote civic behaviour, social cohesion, health and wellbeing?

7. Connectivity: To what extent does the place provide transport and access options to an appropriate range of urban services?