The Northern New Jersey District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI-NNJ) invites nominations of land use projects or individuals in the field of land development and redevelopment, for the ULI-NNJ 2009 New Jersey Land Use Awards. Nominating applications will be required to follow a specific format as outlined herein, and nominees must demonstrate excellence according to the criteria provided below. The purpose of these awards is to recognize leadership in public policy and achievement of the full scope of the development process: design, planning, community development and involvement, construction, economic viability, marketing, management and sustainability. Nominees, whether projects or people, must be shown to have accomplishments aligned with ULI-NNJ’s mission of providing leadership in the responsible use of land by creating sustaining, thriving communities as well as furthering the goals of the NJ State Development and Redevelopment Plan.

Applications are due Monday, October 26, 2009 (hard deadline) and awards will be announced at the ULI-NNJ Awards dinner at the New Brunswick Heldrich Center on December 10, 2009. All applicants will be notified by mid-November as to whether or not their nominee has been selected for an award. There are so many award-worthy projects and people nominated, that failure to receive an award in any one year should not be taken as rejection! In fact, we encourage applicants whose nominees may not have received an award in past years to try again, since it frequently happens that a particularly strong nominee in one category one year beats out an almost equally-worthy nominee. We also welcome and encourage all applicants and nominees to attend the awards dinner, even if they do not happen to be selected for an award that year.

The 2009 Land Use Awards will recognize nominees in the following categories, which coincide with ULI-NNJ’s five key strategic planning issues:

• Sustainable Development (project) 
• Mixed-use Development (project) 
• Infrastructure/Transportation (project) 
• Leadership in Public Policy or Public Service (person) 
• Outstanding Educator (person)

In addition, we have one category currently pending confirmation:
 * Bloustein Alumus Award for “Dedication to Civic Leadership”- proceeds to fund Current Bloustein Student Scholarship Fund *
                *Pending Category to be confirmed by 9/30/09*

In addition, Special Recognition award(s) may be given at the discretion of the jury. The jury also selects a Project of the Year.
If you do not want your nominee considered for any other category, please so indicate.

The project or person nominated must demonstrate exceptional leadership and distinction. Nominees will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Projects:

• be located in New Jersey; 
• be completed, in stabilized operation and economically viable; 
• demonstrate a high standard of excellence in all areas: design, planning, community/political involvement, construction, economics, sustainability, marketing and management; 
• demonstrate resourceful use of land, preservation or enhancement of the built environment; 
• contribute to the current and future needs of the community in which it is located; 
• be innovative and worthy of replication; 
• make responsible use of public or private funds; 
• demonstrate leadership in resolving a public policy issue or meeting a community need.

It has been our experience that award-winning projects manifest excellence in all criteria. However, if your project is particularly strong on certain criteria, we urge that you consider nominating it even if it might not be above average on all criteria. On occasion, overcoming even one particularly challenging aspect of a development project with unusual creativity and originality is a feat so impressive as to make the project worthy of nomination for that success alone.

People:
 

• have a primary career focus (i.e. an individual with an articulable, sustained relationship, more than just one link) in New Jersey;
• have a demonstrated history of influencing, in general, successful development or redevelopment, in line with the project criteria set forth above;
• demonstrate a high standard and duration of excellence in their field, which, in addition to the appropriate category (educator or public service/policy), should touch one or more of the areas implicated by the project criteria set forth above;
• demonstrate leadership in resolving a public policy issue or meeting a community need.

It has been our experience that award-winning people have demonstrated a long and vigorous history of broad engagement and influence in their chosen field. However, if your nominee has enjoyed an outstanding success on a single endeavor worthy of particular notice, we urge that you consider nominating the person on that basis. In addition, consider whether the accomplishment itself, if it meets a project category, might qualify for an award.

Application Format:
Applicants should submit the following materials to the ULI-NNJ Awards committee:

1. Information Statement: State which award category the nomination is addressing; who is making this application and the relationship of the applicant to the proposed candidate or project. For projects, please provide name, address, location, contact person information, and key project data: gross square footage, size, uses, amenities, open space, density, amount/type of parking, sources and uses of financing, target population demographics and needs. Please also list also key project team members with contact information. For people: please provide the name and business address of the nominee, along with as much objective data as possible about the person's career or achievements which, in your opinion, qualify the person for the award. Information should, if possible, include a curriculum vitae.

2. Narrative Statement: In no more than three pages, please describe the nominee’s goals, objectives, attributes and success in achieving the awards criteria specified above. What obstacles were overcome in achieving the project or personal level of success? What sets this person or project apart in demonstrating eligibility for a ULI-NNJ award?

3. Images: As a separate attachment, please include up to 20 images that demonstrate the attributes of the project, or, if feasible, the accomplishments of the person. This may be provided as a power point presentation or as separate images, articles, plans, renderings, etc. If there is more than one image on a page, the images count separately. Please attribute sources for all the images. A description of up to two sentences may be added for each image.

Submission Information:
Please provide 10 hard copies and a CD-ROM disk containing the award application. Image files should be provided in jpeg or .tiff format. All applications must be postmarked by Monday, October 26, 2009 and sent to:

Mara Winokur, AICP, PP
Manager, ULI Northern New Jersey
12 Daisy Court
Airmont, NY 10901

Should you have any questions on the application procedures, please call or email: (201) 312-8817 mara.winokur@uli.org