JC Nichols entering the JC Nichols Company Building, 1933
Honoring Visionaries Who Inspire Great Places
The Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development was established to recognize an individual, or a person representing an institution, whose career demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of responsible development. The $100,000 prize honors the legacy of legendary Kansas City, Missouri, developer Jesse Clyde Nichols (1880-1950), a founding ULI member who is widely regarded as one of America’s most influential entrepreneurs in land use during the first half of the 20th century.
History of Nichols Prize
The Nichols Prize, endowed by the family of J.C. Nichols, honors the legacy of the legendary Kansas City, Missouri, developer. A founding ULI member, J.C. Nichols (1880-1950) is widely regarded as one of America’s most influential entrepreneurs in land use during the first half of the 1900s. He pioneered the development of sustainable, mass market residential neighborhoods built for permanence, and automobile-oriented shopping centers. The Country Club district, a model residential community; Country Club Plaza, a 77-year-old shopping center and multi-use development; and numerous well-preserved suburban communities south of downtown Kansas City attest to his enduring legacy in Kansas City. Vincent Scully, 2003 laureate of the Nichols Prize said of J.C. Nichols, “There is no one involved with the American city who does not owe J.C. Nichols a debt for his vision and method in the planning and development of residential communities. His example has helped this generation to take on that basic program intelligently once again.”
