MPC’s Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning, named in honor of Daniel H. Burnham, creator of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, encourages sensible growth by honoring visionary planning efforts with demonstrated results in the Chicago metropolitan region.
Nomination criteria
Every year, MPC evaluates nominees and determines the winner of the Burnham Award by selecting the plan that demonstrates results in one or all of the following categories:
- Creating more livable communities through better integration of land use and housing; management of water and energy resources; improvement of parks and open space; and promotion of local food.
- Addressing human capital with improvements to education and workforce development; and supporting economic innovation.
- Improving regional mobility by investing strategically in transportation; increasing commitment to public transit; and creating a more efficient freight network.
- Making government more efficient by reforming state and local tax policy; improving access to information; and pursuing coordinated investments.
All submissions will be judged on whether they followed an open process and encouraged public participation. The submission must demonstrate that the plan led to results that can be measured.
Burnham Award winners
2019 Austin Coming Together
2018 Space to Grow
2017 Friends of the Cal-Sag Trail and the Cal-Sag Coalition for their plan and implementation of the Cal-Sag Trail
2016 The Transforming Community of Pullman
2016 Honorary Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning to Peter Skosey for a Lifetime of Excellence in Planning
2015 City of Chicago, Trust for Public Land, Chicago Park District and Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail—The 606
2014 Forest Preserves of Cook County—Next Century Conservation Plan
2013 City of Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs and Special Events—Chicago Cultural Plan
2012 Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning—GO TO 2040
2011 Magellan Development Group—Lakeshore East Master Plan, Chicago
2010 Whistler Crossing, Riverdale, Ill.
2009 Chicago Metropolis 2020
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—Chicago River Corridor Development Plan; Lake County Stormwater Management and Friends of the Chicago River—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