History
Urban Design Associates (UDA) was founded in 1964 by David Lewis, FAIA, and Raymond Gindroz, FAIA, as one of the earliest architecture firms to concentrate on the design of neighborhoods and cities. Lewis and Gindroz pioneered methods for engaging citizens in the design of community centers, schools, and neighborhoods.
The firm is known for refining and developing public planning process and authored The Urban Design Handbook, Techniques and Working Methods, a textbook published by W. W. Norton & Company. UDA has advanced urban design as an important branch of the architecture profession, and co-founder David Lewis was influential in creating the Regional Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) service of the American Institute of Architects, and organized the "Remaking Cities" conference that was held in Pittsburgh in 1988 to address post-industrial cities. UDA co-founder Ray Gindroz was also a founding member of the Congress for the New Urbanism and was influential in formulating policies and standards with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Congress for the New Urbanism for the design of mixed-income neighborhoods under the federal HOPE VI program. UDA has been recognized for resurrecting the pattern book as a regulatory design tool for developers and municipalities as indicated in The Architectural Pattern Book, A Tool for Building Great Neighborhoods. UDA-authored pattern books include Celebration, Florida, and WaterColor, Florida, in the United States, and Ellon, Aberdeenshire, in Scotland.
Awards and recognitions
American Institute of Architects
- 1988, Edward C. Kemper Award, David Lewis
- 2014, Honor Award, Regional and Urban Design, East Baltimore Comprehensive Redevelopment Plan, Baltimore, Maryland
- 2000, Honor Award, Regional and Urban Design, Park DuValle, Louisville, Kentucky
- 1999, Honor Award, Regional and Urban Design, Diggs Town Public Housing, Norfolk, Virginia
- 2019, AIA Presidential Citation for Exceptional Service, David Lewis, FAIA, Urban Design Associates
- Citation For Excellence, Urban Design, Patching and Stitching in Urban Neighborhoods: Pittsburgh, Norfolk, and Richmond
Congress for the New Urbanism
- 2003, Charter Award, East Baltimore Comprehensive Redevelopment Plan, Baltimore, Maryland
- 2004, Charter Award, The Campus Plan for the University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
- 2005, Charter Award, A Pattern Book for Norfolk Neighborhoods, Norfolk, Virginia
- 2006, Athena Award, David Lewis
- 2007, Charter Awards, Louisiana Speaks: Pattern Book, State of Louisiana
- 2007, Recognition, Cooper's Crossing Pattern Book, Camden, New Jersey
- 2008, Recognition, A Pattern Book for Neighborly Houses/Habitat for Humanity
- 2012, Recognition, Neighborhoods of the Lower Mill Creek Valley, Cincinnati, Ohio
- 2012, Charter Award, New Faubourg Lafitte, New Orleans, Louisiana
- 2016, Charter Award (Merit Award), Currie, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- 2016, Charter Award (Merit Award) Orleans Landing, Detroit, Michigan
Institute for Classical Architecture and Arts
- 2019, Arthur Ross Award for Community Design & City Planning
Presidential Design Award
- 1995, Federal Design Achievement Award, The Re-design of Diggs Town (Public Housing), Norfolk, Virginia
Urban Land Institute
- 2004, Award of Excellence, Fall Creek Place, Indianapolis, Indiana
- 2004, Award of Excellence, First Ward Place/ The Garden District, Charlotte, North Carolina
- 2004, Award of Excellence, WaterColor, Seagrove Beach, Florida
- 2017-2018, Global Award, West Don Lands, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
- 2011, Donald Hunter Excellence in Economic Development Planning Award, Coliseum District Master Plan: Peninsula Town Center Project, Hampton, Virginia
- 2013, National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation, Cincinnati Central Riverfront, Master Plan, Cincinnati, Ohio
City of Moscow
- 2012, First Prize, Federal District Concept Plan, International Competition for the Moscow Agglomeration Plan
Toronto Architecture & Urban Design
- 2005, Award of Excellence, Visions and Master Plans, West Don Lands Precinct Plan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
