The School of Architecture received top honors from the annual Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Awards. In the academic competition, Prof. Philip Bess' urban-design studio "Strategies for Sustainable Skaneateles" in central New York State received the grand prize. The team of six graduate students received $1000 from The Oram Foundation Inc./Fund for the Environment and Urban Life.
Cindy Michel, '04 and '10, received the Academic Award for her graduate thesis project "From Settlement to City: A Masterplan for Cap-Haitien, Haiti," a case study examining urban-design problems in dense, newly built settlements in developing countries. Her project proposed a new master plan for Cap-Haitien, Haiti in the aftermath of that country’s devastating earthquake.
Prof. Samir Younés was part of a team that received honorable mention for a new town plan in Corbeanca, Romania.
Opticos Design, Inc. (whose principals are Dan '95 and Karen Parolek ’95, and inaugural Driehaus Prize winner Léon Krier), were honored for a new town square and beachfront master plan for Seaside, Florida.
The awards were presented at a ceremony at the 19th annual Congress for the New Urbanism in Madison, Wisconsin in June 2011. The CNU is the leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development.