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2024 Greening & Public Realm Awards

The Greening and Public Realm Awards celebrate outstanding greening and placemaking in downtown Minneapolis and you get to help decide the winners! Downtown has a growing network of active parks, green streets, welcoming sidewalk cafes, and grassroots projects, and the Mpls Downtown Improvement District wants the people behind that work to get the recognition they deserve. 

The votes are in! Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2024 Greening & Public Realm Awards. We are thrilled to announce the 2024 award recipients. These recipients exemplify the commitment to sustainability and greening that is transforming downtown, and we celebrate their contributions to our community's vibrancy! Scroll below to view the list of winners

Join us in celebrating the Downtown Greening and Public Realm Awards on November 7th! Celebrate this year's award winners, and learn more about upcoming public realm projects coming to downtown from 3pm - 4:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church on November 7th. Click here to register.

2024 Greening & Public Realm Award Winners

Small Green Space
  • Winner: Minneapolis College
  • Finalists: Federal Reserve, Triangle Park, WCCO Plaza
Large Green Space
  • Winner: Loring Greenway
  • Finalists: Mpls Convention Center Plaza, Gold Medal Park, Water Works Park
Public Art
  • Winner:  'Rockman' by Tom Otterness
  • Finalists: 'Dancers' by Fernando Botero, 'The Wave' by Ned Kahn
Activated Space
  • Winner: Peavey Plaza
  • Finalists: The Commons, Government Center South Plaza, North Loop Green
Best Adopted Garden
  • Winner: St. Olaf Boulevard Gardens
  • Finalists: 4th Street Oasis, Skip & Michelle's Rain Garden, 8th St. & Portland Community Garden
Façade
  • Winner: Cafe and Bar Lurcat
  • Finalists: Gluek's Bar and Restaurant, Strive Bookstore, Lenox Brownstones
Sustainable Greening
  • Winner: Westminster Presbyterian
  • Finalists: 8th St. Stormwater Planters, 4th St. Rain Gardens, Mpls Convention Center Plaza
Best Tree
  • Winner:  Cottonwood in Water Works Park
  • Finalists: Giant Gingko in Elliot Park, Elm on Spruce Place
Outdoor Cafe/Patio
  • Winner: The Monte Carlo
  • Finalists: The Local, EaTo, Red Cow
Public Realm Improvement
  • Winner: 3rd Avenue Bridge Reconstruction
  • Finalists: North Loop Green, Reopened Cedar Lake Light Rail Trail, Elliot Park Tree Canopy, 2nd Street Protected Bikeway
 

About Greening & Public Realm Awards

The Annual Greening and Public Realm Awards are an initiative of the Mpls Downtown Improvement District to celebrate the outstanding examples of private greening and placemaking happening in downtown Minneapolis, and are intended to inspire all to work towards making downtown a greener and more vibrant place. Unlike the world-class park system that weaves thru our city’s neighborhoods, downtown is lacking in parks and green space to support our growing residential, business and visitor populations. We believe if each building in downtown was to place a single entryway planter on their property, the impact on the public realm would be tremendous and the work done by Mpls DID, Minneapolis Park Board and others would be strengthened.

By participating in the Annual Greening and Public Realm Awards you can help recognize the properties, businesses, and community groups who have created and maintained greening projects that contribute to a more beautiful downtown.