New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Public Design Commission (PDC) Chair Deborah Marton, and PDC Executive Director Sreoshy Banerjea today announced the winners of the 42nd annual Awards for Excellence in Design. The 11 winning projects were selected by PDC from hundreds of submissions and reviewed in 2023. This year’s award-winning projects showcase the city’s commitment to innovative, sustainable, and community-centered design. Each honoree demonstrates how thoughtful urban planning can significantly enhance daily life for New Yorkers, and the designs go beyond aesthetics by creating resilient infrastructure, fostering community connections, and providing accessible spaces for recreation and learning at locations across the five boroughs.
“When we invest in the beauty and functionality of our public spaces, we create environments where everyone feels welcome and valued, and these projects — from revitalized waterfront spaces to state-of-the-art community facilities — embody our vision for a city where every neighborhood thrives,” said Mayor Adams. “Design excellence can directly translate to improved quality of life for New Yorkers by promoting equity, fostering sustainability, and strengthening cultural connections. I commend all of our awardees for reimagining our public spaces to not only meet the needs of our city today but also anticipate the challenges of the city tomorrow.”
“These award-winning projects showcase how innovative urban planning and thoughtful design enhance vibrancy and livability for all New Yorkers,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “I commend our city agencies and design partners for creating spaces that foster community, prioritize sustainability, and reflect the diverse needs of our residents.”
“Every year, PDC’s Excellence in Public Design awards remind us that remarkable public design happens in all five boroughs,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “The surprise and delight of coming upon a brand new beautiful public space and well-designed functional buildings is part of the allure of New York City. Thanks to our colleagues across city government, our library partners, and many others, it is.”
“At PDC, we balance each project’s unique constraints and opportunities while amplifying the voices of New Yorkers who help shape their communities,” said PDC Chair Marton. “Whether it’s a carefully crafted handrail or a monumental skyscraper, good design shapes our shared story — reflecting our history, defining our present, and inspiring our future. Today’s award-winning projects showcase how design excellence emerges from collaboration between talented designers and dedicated public servants who work together to enhance our city’s built environment.”
“These award-winning designs showcase the power of collaboration in transforming our city,” said PDC Executive Director Banerjea. “Through the extraordinary partnership between our agencies, designers, and communities, we’re creating spaces that go beyond aesthetics to foster sustainability, inclusivity, and community vitality. Each project represents our collective commitment to building a more resilient and equitable New York where every resident can thrive.”
“As the caretakers of New York City’s public greenspaces, we at NYC Parks are committed to enhancing our public realm with innovative and resilient design,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “It is an honor to be recognized in the Public Design Commission’s 42nd Annual Awards for Excellence in Design for our work in all five boroughs. Accessible, engaging, and beautiful public spaces are not a luxury — they are a necessity for the livable and green city that all New Yorkers deserve. I am so grateful to the incredible teams throughout NYC Parks who have earned this recognition, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners throughout government and in communities citywide to bring even more transformative, forward-looking projects to all five boroughs.”
“DDC partners with some of the world’s top design firms to deliver extraordinary public projects as part of our 20-year commitment to design and construction excellence, and we enliven those projects with great public artwork through DCLA’s ‘Percent for Art’ program,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley. “Now, through our design-build program, we’re proving that excellent public design can be delivered better, faster, and more inclusively on behalf of the diverse communities we serve. We’re honored to receive this recognition from the Public Design Commission, and we thank them for their partnership in improving how the city delivers capital projects on behalf of all New Yorkers.”
“Great public art makes for great public spaces, which are an essential part of New York City’s energy and livability,” said New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “I applaud all of the artists, architects, public servants, and designers honored in this year’s Awards for Excellence in Design, especially the Public Art team at the Department of Cultural Affairs. Every day, our public art team collaborates with artists, residents, and city partners to commission amazing, site-specific works of art for civic spaces like the ones being recognized here. Together, we’re working to make a lasting contribution to the public realm of our city.”
“DEP is proud to be recognized for our work in Gowanus, where our robust community engagement has produced designs that deliver on our environmental goals and reflect the values and priorities of local stakeholders,” said New York City Department of Environmental Preservation (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “I want to thank the Public Design Commission for championing design excellence in infrastructure projects and for recognizing the creativity and collaboration that went into this project. Congratulations to all the award-winning project teams!”
“Greenways are a key asset to driving economic development and creating an opportunity to boost sustainable transportation, while building resilient public amenities for our communities,” said New York City Economic Development (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “As NYCEDC continues to expand the citywide greenway network, we are honored to be recognized by Mayor Adams and our colleagues at PDC for our innovative design work on the Harlem River Greenway, and look forward to bringing this project to life.”
“Great public design enriches our communities and helps celebrate the unique character of neighborhoods across the five boroughs,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “I’m proud of DOT’s role with the Shirley Chisholm Monument, which honors the societal and historical impact of Representative Chisholm. The Public Design Commission has set the standard for using thoughtful design to build a better city for all New Yorkers, and I thank them and the hardworking DOT staff for prioritizing equitable design, sustainable practices, and innovative streetscape improvements.”
“We are proud to bring innovative renewable energy designs to buildings all across New York City, and we thank the Public Design Commission for this recognition,” said New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “Our solar panel installations on city facilities have been a major facet of our carbon reduction goals, and we are committed to bringing more citywide projects online that prioritize sustainability to the benefit of all New Yorkers in the months and years ahead.”
“The following award-winning projects showcase the powerful role design plays in creating spaces where New Yorkers feel a sense of pride, joy, and belonging,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “Each design embodies our vision for a city where every resident has access to inspiring, accessible, and resilient public spaces. Congratulations to the winners of the Excellence in Public Design awards, we thank you for sharing your creativity and building such beautiful public spaces in the city we call home.”
Since 1983, PDC has recognized well-designed public projects with its Annual Awards for Excellence in Design. The winning projects are selected from the submissions reviewed by the commission the previous year and exemplify how innovative and thoughtful design can enhance the public realm, serve communities, inspire neighborhood pride, and provide durable and resilient space for New Yorkers. The projects being honored demonstrate the transformative impact of planning multipurpose spaces, designing impactful artwork and monuments, and creating innovative landscapes that are accessible, welcoming, and reflective of the needs and aspirations of our diverse communities.
The Design Award-Winning Projects
Project: A Bit of Everything by Misha Kahn
Location: Little Neck, NY
Agency: DCLA, DDC, Queens Library
Project: Aesop Park
Location: Staten Island, NY
Agency: NYC Parks
Project: Borough Park Library
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Agency: DDC, Brooklyn Public Library
Project: Owls Head Combined Sewer Overflow Facility Headhouse and Open Space
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Agency: DEP, NYC Parks
Project: Manhattan Greenway Harlem River
Location: New York, NY
Agency: NYCEDC, NYC Parks
Project: Orchard Beach Maintenance and Operations Facility
Location: Bronx, NY
Agency: DDC, NYC Parks
Project: Orchard Beach Maintenance and Operations Facility
Location: Bronx, NY
Agency: DDC, NYC Parks
Project: Prospect Park Upper and Lower Vale
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Agency: NYC Parks, Prospect Park Alliance
Project: Queensbridge Baby Park
Location: Long Island City, NY
Agency: NYC Parks
Project: Shirley Chisholm Monument by Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Agency: DCLA, NYC Parks, DOT, Prospect Park Alliance
Project: Walter Gladwin Recreation Center
Location: Bronx, NY
Agency: DDC, NYC Parks
Project: “What Do I See to be Except Myself” by Oasa DuVerney
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Agency: DCLA, DDC, Brooklyn Public Library
Project: Special Recognition Rooftop Photovoltaic Program
Location: Citywide
Agency: DCAS
October 30, 2024
Sources: NYC.gov , Midtown Tribune
Big New York news BigNY.com
