The 2011 finalists (the project’s “champion” in parentheses) were selected from an impressive collection of entries, representing urban areas throughout the United States. Finalist selections were based on project design and how each transformed or revived their surrounding community.

• Director Park, Portland, Oregon (ZGF Architects/Portland Parks & Recreation Department): Taking the place of a proposed 8-story parking structure, the Simon and Helen Director Park is half-acre piazza that serves as parlor and salon for Portland’s downtown institutions. With a café, fountain, and pavilion, the minimalist open space has become an outdoor room for Portland’s citizenry.
• Discovery Green, Houston, Texas (Discovery Green Conservancy): Once a contaminated, underdeveloped parcel on the edge of downtown, the 12-acre Discovery Green has become Houston’s signature open space. Adjacent to the city’s convention center, the heavily-programmed park has attracted an estimated two million visitors since opening and drawn reinvestment into east downtown.
• Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon (Peter Walker and Partners Landscape Architecture): Located in Portland’s Pearl District, Jamison Square is the first of a series of planned urban parks, each designed to reinforce the city’s relationship with the waterfront. With its interactive fountain, pool, and outdoor art gallery, the pocket park has become a kid-friendly magnet for neighborhood families.
• Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion, Houston, Texas (Thomas Phifer and Partners): Formerly an underutilized and neglected quad at Rice University, the Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion has created a new student center and social hub on campus. The airy pavilion is capped by a broad trellis and surrounded by elm tree groves, providing shade for its surrounding seating areas and winding footpaths.