Metropolitan Planning Council Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning
Since 1988, MPC’s Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning, named in honor of Daniel H. Burnham, creator of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, has encouraged sensible growth by honoring innovative and visionary planning efforts in the Chicago metropolitan region.
Selection Criteria
Every year, a committee of planning and community development experts from around the region evaluates nominees and determines the winner of the Burnham Award by selecting the plan that:
- Promotes and implements sensible planning and development policies;
- Encourages public participation and follows an open process;
- Provides long-term benefits to the community and its surroundings;
- Is provocative, balancing realistic expectations with vision;
- Is innovative, breaking new ground in planning practices; and
- Is sufficiently completed to evaluate whether the desired results have been realized.
Past Winners
2011 Magellan Development Group, Lakeshore East Master Plan, Chicago Watch the video. >
2010 Whistler Crossing, Riverdale, Ill. Watch the video >
2009 Chicago Metropolis 2020. Watch this video to learn more about MPC's 2009 Burnham Award winner. Watch the video >
2008 Village of Arlington Heights – Timber Court Condominium Development
2007 The Cities of: East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Portage, Whiting and Congressman Pete Visclosky’s Office, The Marquette Plan: The Lakeshore Reinvestment Strategy
2006 Bethel New Life, Parkside Estate/Lake & Pulaski plan
2005 City of Waukegan, Lakefront-Downtown Urban Design Plan
2004 City of Chicago, Calumet Area Land Use Plan
2003 Illinois Institute of Technology, Campus Master Plan
2002 Will County, Land Resource Management Plan
2001 City of Chicago for the Chicago River Corridor Development Plan and Lake County Stormwater Management and Friends of the Chicago River for North Branch Watershed Assessment.
2000 Village of Park Forest – Downtown Park Forest Master Plan (rehab of old regional mall into main street.)
1999 Village of Arlington Heights-Downtown Plan
1998 Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Chicago Park District, Cook County Forest Preserve District-CitySpace Plan
Honorable Mentions
Downers Grove Economic Development Commission-Central Business District Master Plan.
City of Chicago Department of the Environment, Department of Planning and Development and Clean Sites-Chicago Brownfields Forum
1997 Near West Side Community Development Corporation and resident of West Haven-creation of exciting mixed income stable community.
Honorable Mentions
City of Chicago-CitySpace Plan
Kane County Regional Planning Commission-2020 Land Resource Management Plan for Kane County
1996 The Shaw Company and Sears Roebuck and Company-Homan Square
1995 Mid-South Planning and Development Commission-Mid South Strategic Plan
1994 DePaul University-Goldblatts rehab, restoring Merle Reskin Theater, expansion of Lincoln Park Campus
1993 Chicago Park District, Office of Research and Planning-for policies and programs enhancing the parks
1992 Canal Corridor Association-for planning achievements in the Illinois and Michigan Heritage Canal Corridor
1991 Beth White, Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago River-Chicago River Urban Design Guidelines
1990 The Regional Transportation Authority-Ten year Strategic Plan
1989 The City of Chicago, Chicago Dock and Canal Trust, and Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc-Cityfront Center Project
1988 Mary Ward Wolkonsky-Founder and Chair, the Bright New City
