It’s probably not a coincidence that the 2009 Commonwealth Awards, given annually since 2003 by smart growth advocates 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, will for the first time include honors for individuals who have contributed valuable influence on their community.
“It is especially important in this time of severely constrained fiscal resources to promote smart growth design that will help us grow more sustainably,” says 10,000 Friends President and CEO Judy Schwank.
The Awards seek innovative smart development and design projects and the visionaries who are leading the way on smart growth from around Pennsylvania. The deadline for submissions is April 3 and the awards will be presented on June 9 at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg. Award-winning submissions should reflect the objectives of 10,000 Friends, including revitalizing communities, strengthening land use planning and implementation, reducing congestion and pollution, and preservation of historic, natural, agricultural and recreational resources.
Past winners include the Tom Ridge Environmental Center on Presque Isle in Erie, The Bausman Street Independent Living Center in Allegheny County, the Martin Luther King Plaza in Philadelphia and the Martin Memorial Library in York County. This year, citizens and public officials can be nominated for recognition and will be chosen by 10,000 Friends’ Board of Directors.
Another addition to this year’s awards program is poster sessions where awards semifinalists will present more in-depth information on their projects.
“Attendees will have the opportunity to learn how they might incorporate smart growth into their work,” Schwank says.
Source: Judy Schwank, President and CEO for 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania
Writer: Joe Petrucci
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