The St. Pete Pier has been chosen as one of six winners of the Urban Land Institute’s 2022 ULI Global Awards for Excellence, a top honor recognizing the best new urban designs in the world. The award is an incredible recognition for St. Pete, as this year’s winners include two from North America, two from Europe, and two from Asia Pacific.

This news follows the July announcement that the pier had been named one of the 10 winners of the Urban Land Institute’s 2022 Americas Awards for Excellence. As a regional winner, the pier then became a finalist for the Global Award for Excellence, which it has now won.

Already a landmark in the Sunshine City, the St. Pete Pier was the only design in the Southeastern U.S. to earn the regional distinction, and joins New York City’s Essex Crossing as the only Global Award winners from the Americas.

In addition to an open category, which recognizes all product types, the categories for this year’s awards included Equitable Development, Low-Carbon Development, Resilient Development, Small-Scale Development, and Urban Open Space. St. Pete was recognized in the Urban Open Space category, a perfect fit for outdoor-centric activities, facilities and programming at the pier.

Welch lauds commendation

“This is an incredible, meaningful accomplishment for our city and our iconic waterfront,” St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said. “The ULI Global Awards for Excellence win puts the St. Pete Pier on the map as a world class destination for residents and visitors alike. Thank you to the ULI and members of the jury for honoring us with this year’s award.”

The Awards for Excellence program was first started in 1979 as a way for the Urban Land Institute to recognize superior development efforts in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. For the 2022 competition, 68 projects and programs from across the Americas region were submitted for the competition. From this impressive field, the 11-member jury composed of development, finance, planning, urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture experts selected 21 finalists.

In 2022, 152 projects and programs were submitted across the three ULI regions. Of those submissions, 26 were named as winners across the regions and were then considered as global finalists. From this impressive field, the jury ultimately selected the six winners. More information on each of the finalists is available at uli.org/gae.

Former Mayor Rick Kriseman, whose administration oversaw the Pier’s development, stated, “I am incredibly proud of the recognition the pier has received culminating in this award from the highly respected ULI. The Pier project was a great example of what happens when a community and dedicated, committed staff come together to create a place that is open and inviting to everyone, residents and visitors alike. The St. Pete Pier is a place where lasting memories are created. Congratulations again to the entire city team.“

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