Richard Rogers to be awarded ULI J.C. Nichols Prize

The ULI J.C. Nichols Prize recognizes a person or a person representing an institution who has demonstrated a longtime commitment to the creation of communities that reflect the highest standards of design and development. The prize honors the legacy of Kansas City, Missouri, developer J.C. Nichols, a founding ULI member considered to be one of America’s most creative entrepreneurs in land use during the first half of the 20th century.

Rogers is the 16th recipient of the prestigious prize recognising his career-long focus on creating sustainable communities that thrive by providing a high quality of life for all citizens. His emphasis on design that complements and enhances day-to-day living in urban areas is reflected in his 53 years of work as an architect and in his role as an urban design adviser to numerous public officials, including service as chairman of the British government’s Urban Task Force from 1998 to 2000.

“Achieving an urban renaissance is about creating the quality of life and vitality that make urban living desirable. The compact city is the only environmentally sustainable way to live in an urbanising world. We must bring about a change in urban attitudes so that towns and cities become and remain attractive places in which to live, work, and socialise,” said Richard Rogers, Senior Partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

“Richard’s work, whether it is architecture or advocacy, shines a spotlight on the challenges that people in urban areas are facing and offers solutions that can be implemented,” said 2015 Nichols Prize Jury Chairman.

Marilyn Taylor, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Design in Philadelphia and a former ULI Chairman. “Living well in cities and extending that sense of wellness to everyone – those are the impacts that Richard is making with his words, his advocacy and his work. His impact is as much about how he has affected public policy as in the buildings he has built. Better ideas about housing, or about how public space meets a building – that’s where Richard’s contribution is.

“What makes Richard’s work intriguing is that he has always been ahead of his time. He inherently included sustainability goals and the responsible use of scarce resources before they (those practices) became the norm. And, he was among the first to stand up for the values of place and the quality of human life. Richard’s confidence that design, when executed well, will make a difference in people’s lives has truly set for him an extraordinary path that continues today.”

“The impact of Richard’s buildings can always be seen by the smiles of people enjoying his buildings,” said Sir Stuart Lipton, a Nichols Prize jury member, former Nichols Prize laureate, and founder of Lipton Rogers Developments LLP in London. “Richard is a master architect with a very humble strategy, which is understanding people. He is one of those rare individuals who understands the relationship between public space, wonderful architecture, and the needs of ordinary people.”