Winners of Fifth Annual ULI 'Excellence in Placemaking' Awards Announced

Mud Island Community Garden in the North East Inner City selected as overall winner of the 2023 competition winning an award of €5,000 towards further enhancement of the project

Very high standard of entries from all over the country to the fifth annual competition

Two Projects identified for special commendation

Commercial property specialists CBRE and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) have announced the winners of the fifth annual ‘ULI Excellence in Placemaking’ awards. The awards were established to reward organisations and communities throughout Ireland that make genuine efforts to improve their local communities through the initiation of placemaking projects that add to the public realm and make these places better places in which to ‘live, work and play’.

The competition sought to shortlist the best examples of Placemaking throughout the four provinces of Ireland. Judges, which included esteemed planners, architects and academics all commented on the calibre of entries received and the extent to which the importance of Placemaking is now gaining momentum in the Irish market.

According to Marie Hunt, Chair at ULI Ireland “These awards tie in with some of the key objectives of the Urban Land Institute in terms of identifying, showcasing & celebrating good design & placemaking in urban landscapes. The projects that have particularly appealed to the judges are those that promote health & wellbeing, offering ‘connectivity, permeability and accessibility’ for all whilst also promoting the best in architecture and design. A key feature of this year’s competition was an increase in art and cultural initiatives that deliver benefits for local communities.”

Willie Norse, Executive Director at property consultants CBRE Ireland, sponsors of the competition, added “It is so important for the future of our built environment that we understand and champion great placemaking and sustainability efforts. I am delighted that CBRE are once again working with ULI Ireland to formally recognise & reward those in the public and private sector who are building communities & creating amazing places and I look forward to ongoing collaboration with ULI Ireland on this project into the future as placemaking and ESG becomes even more important.”

Dr. Miriam Fitzpatrick, Assistant Professor and Lecturer in Urban Design, Director of Masters in Landscape Architecture at UCD School of Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy commented;

“Placemaking has been defined as doing many things all at once in a public space recognising the enormous value when users have a range of reasons to be there. Accordingly, examples ranged from community-driven street improvements to park designs crafted in collaboration with locals: from social creativity initiatives to enchanting temporary light installations. Numerous entries showcased collaborations with communities and professionals, engaging in co-design efforts to enhance the quality of spaces. Inevitably, these projects required capital investment to facilitate the process, manage, and curate activities. It is this aspect that instils the most hope for the establishment of a vibrant new tradition fostered by this prize.

The winners of the various categories are as follows:

Rest Of Leinster

• Dunboyne Playspace, Co. Meath - winner in Community/Voluntary projects
• Kildare Public Parklets - winner in Public Sector/Large Scale/Commercial

Dublin

• Mud Island Community Garden, North Strand, Dublin 3 - winner in Community/Voluntary projects
• Diamond Park, Gardiner Street Lower Dublin - winner in Public Sector/Large Scale/Commercial
• Francis Street Environmental Improvement Scheme - highly commended
• The Sub-Station, Dublin Port – highly commended.

Connaught

• Lóchrainn na Rónta, Co. Sligo - winner

Overall National Excellence in Placemaking Award Winner 2023

• Mud Island Community Garden, North Strand, Dublin 3, D03 F6W2, Ireland

The judges in the fifth Placemaking Awards said that Mud Island Community Garden demonstrates all that is good about Placemaking and commented:

“Placemaking has been defined as doing many things all at once in a public space recognising the enormous value when users have a range of reasons to be there. Accordingly, examples ranged from community-driven street improvements to park designs crafted in collaboration with locals: from social creativity initiatives to enchanting temporary light installations. Numerous entries showcased collaborations with communities and professionals, engaging in co-design efforts to enhance the quality of spaces. Inevitably, these projects required capital investment to facilitate the process, manage, and curate activities. It is this aspect that instils the most hope for the establishment of a vibrant new tradition fostered by this prize.”

They went on to say; “Mud Island Community Garden is an inspirational community project which demonstrates the power of collective community involvement. The Mud Island project has developed a formally derelict space into a community garden which has evolved into an exceptional and inclusive place. While it was conceived as a sustainable garden, it has become so much more by providing a space for arts, culture, learning and connection across the community. The judging panel were unanimous in their praise for the project’s vision and pro-active approach to sustainability, education, and openness to engaging with the whole community across all ages, and the integration of new residents.”