Harvard Awards Medellin Urban Design... the Veronica Rudge Green Prize

Colombia’s Medellin wins Harvard award for urban design

posted by Oliver Griffin

Proyecto Urbanistico Nororiental Medellin (Photo) Medellin travel

Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, on Tuesday evening won the Veronica Rudge Green award for urban design at an award ceremony held at the prestigious Harvard university.

The award, which recognises ingenuity and innovation for archetectural design, was awarded to the Northeastern Urban Integration Project in Medellin.

The award not only honors city authorities for continued support of the project, but also the design leadership of architect Alejandro Echeverri.

The project has seen the rejuvenation of the Northeastern part of the city and has exhibited how urban design can overcome problems presented by difficult landscapes.

Post by Medellín.travel.

One of the judges, Michael Sorkin added that “historically we have understood that Landscape Architecture sits in one place, Architecture in another, and Urban Design and Planning [in another, with all three disciplines] in constant conflict about their territorial rights.”

“One of the things that is revolutionary about the Medellin project is that distinguishing among these disciplines is no longer possible.”

Earlier this year, Medellin was named Wall Street Journal’s most innovative city in the world for 2012, beating competition from New York and Tel Aviv.

MORE: Medellin named world’s most innovative city of 2012

 Sources

• The Veronica Rudge Green Prize In Urban Design (Harvard)
• Medellín Recibe Este Martes El Premio De Urbanismo De Harvard (El Colombiano)
• Winners Announced For 2013 Veronica Rudge Green Prize In Urban Design (Arch Daily)