Join us in honoring Mitchell Silver and the student winners of the Center for Architecture and Design's 2024 Edmund N. Bacon Urban Design Awards. Mitchell is a principal with McAdams, a land planning and design company. He is responsible for providing advisory services in urban planning, parks and public space planning. He is an award-winning planner with more than 38 years of experience and is internationally recognized for his leadership and contributions to contemporary planning issues. He is a prolific public speaker and specializes in urban planning, placemaking and implementation strategies. Prior to joining McAdams, Mitchell served as the commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation; Chief Planning Officer in Raleigh, NC and served as president of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mitchell is one of the nation’s most celebrated urban thinkers. He was selected to Planetizen’s list of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists in the world. In addition, he has been honored as one of the top 100 City Innovators in the world by UBM Future Cities, and the Urban Times named him one of the top international thought leaders of the built environment.

The 2024 competition asks students to focus on Philadelphia's 7th Ward, which was once the heart of Black Philadelphia, was a historically significant African-American community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This area stood as a significant community, flourishing with thriving businesses, schools, churches, and serving as a vibrant cultural epicenter and a catalyst for political activism. To honor and reclaim the history and cultural contributions of the 7th Ward, we've invited students to envision a development that transcends the constraints and obstacles imposed by discriminatory economic, racial, planning strategies, and policies. Their goal was to imagine a community that thrives based on its deep-rooted heritage, fostering sustained generational wealth, implementing infrastructure that supports both economic and cultural prosperity, and creating spatial planning that fosters self-reliance and a strong sense of community.

The ceremony will be followed by a coffee + dessert reception for all in attendance.

With the purchase of a VIP ticket, we invite you to join the award winner and us before the ceremony at 5:30 PM for our VIP Reception which features hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer, and music. In attendance will be Mitchell Silver, local dignitaries, and our built-environment-focused sponsors, without whom this program would not be possible.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

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