One of the Urban Land Institute’s guiding principles is that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI has been recognizing development projects in both the public and private sectors since 1979. With each award, the public becomes more keenly aware of the benefits of superior planning, design, and development, a goal of both the Institute and the development industry.

Application Process
Eligibility Requirements
Application Dos and Don'ts
Download the Application

Application and Selection Process

• Application forms, qualified countries, and schedule are available at the Navigation Bar links (see right of this page).
• Developers and/or members of the development team submit completed applications to ULI, postmarked no later than February 19, 2010. 
• Applications must be accompanied by high-quality images that best illustrate the special features and merits of the project.
• The Awards for Excellence: Americas jury convenes to review all submissions and choose up to twenty-five finalists.
• At least one jury member visits each finalist project.
• Jury reconvenes to choose up to ten winners. The jury may choose up to eleven if one of the winners is a Heritage Award winner.
• Questions? Write awards@uli.org.

Eligibility Requirements

• All types of development projects and programs that meet these eligibility requirements may be entered for a ULI Award.
• The project must be in stabilized operation and must be financially viable.
• The project must be complete; however, this does not require that the project be newly constructed.
• The project must achieve a high standard of excellence in all areas—design, construction, economics, marketing, and management.
• The project must demonstrate relevance to the contemporary and future needs of the community in which it is located.
• The project must be worthy of emulation.
• Programs and processes—such as growth management strategies and publicly guided development programs—are eligible if they have been fully implemented. Instead of meeting the financial viability requirement, programs will be considered on the basis of how sound an investment of public funds they have been and the extent of their success in transforming communities and neighborhoods.
• The Awards program is open to all—not just ULI members.

Application Dos and Don’ts

What makes a successful ULI Awards for Excellence application? We polled members of past ULI Awards juries for their ideas. Here are their top ten guidelines for completing a successful awards application.

1. Read the entry form carefully, paying close attention to the criteria. The project must be substantially completed and financially viable or, in the case of the public and special projects/programs, must make a significant contribution toward the betterment of its community. The project also must demonstrate excellence in land planning, design, and/or amenities that set a high standard within the community and the industry.
2. Decide who will spend focused attention on completing the submittal. You may wish to reassemble the team that developed the project so that team members can help draft responses to the application. However, the application will be most effective if one person coordinates and processes all information.
3. Make certain that your photographs truly represent the quality of your development. Submit images that convey special characteristics and make sure they are very clear in showing exteriors, interiors, and landscaping. Images of interiors should highlight the unique features of the project.
4. Review the success factors of your development and explain and document them carefully. Describe target markets, using examples and hard numbers. Focus on communicating how the project demonstrates excellence and why it is worthy of special consideration. Clear, factual information is important.
5. After you have completed the application, let your public relations advisers review it for language, illustrations, and effective communication of your project. Remember that ULI Awards jurors are human beings. They will favor an entry that is persuasive and to the point.
6. Do not put applications in binders; clip them together so that applications can be easily photocopied.
7. Do not use more space than is specified in the application form.
8. Finalists will be notified in the month of March and a ULI Awards jury member will contact them to schedule on-site visits. ULI may request additional information about the project at that time.
9. Don’t forget to label, number, and assign photo credits to all images.
10. Don’t forget to include the appropriate entry fee.