Minneapolis Greening and Public Realm Awards 2024 to be Celebrated November 7th

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Public is invited to the November 7 Downtown Greening & Public Realm: Awards & What's Next event at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Did you know that Minneapolis has a program to recognize outstanding greening and placemaking in our beautiful city? The Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District has sponsored the Greening and Public Realm Awards program since 2010 and the winners are all nominated by the public. We talked to Ella Graham, Sustainability Manager, about the program’s origins, this year’s winners and how you can attend a celebration to recognize the winners.

Q:  Can you please tell us about the origin and goals of the Greening and Public Realm Awards?

Ella GrahamA:  The Greening Awards were established in summer 2010 with the understanding that a green and vibrant downtown is only possible through collaboration. The goal is to celebrate how we all contribute to the downtown community in different ways, including greenery but also art, and vibes! The award categories shift slightly each year based on nominations from the public, but the idea is to highlight projects or efforts by private citizens and organizations that benefit the entire community.

After public nominations close, DID staff select finalists and then the public votes for the winners.

Q:  What criteria does DID staff use to evaluate nominees for the Greening Awards?

A:  Our team selects finalists from the nominee pool by first looking at the number of nominations each potential finalist received. We then make an effort to showcase new or expanded developments and projects that have evolved in sustainable ways. We also look at the quality of maintenance and care at the location. Finally, we try to make sure the finalists are from different areas of downtown, especially those that are off the beaten path.

Q:  What kind of projects or innovative approaches tend to stand out during the awards process?

A:  A project that tries something new while not totally reinventing the wheel really stands out to us.

Q:  Have you noticed that the Greening and Public Realm Awards have had an impact on planning or environmental initiatives at the local level?

A:  We’ve seen consistent public participation in the Awards plus new nominations every year, so the awards have definitely raised public awareness of greening downtown.

We did have to pause the Greening Awards for two years in the wake of the pandemic, as a lot of businesses needed to scale back public realm and greening projects. We brought the awards back in 2022 because we heard from the community that they missed it.

Q:  How do the awards encourage collaboration across different sectors like government, business, and local neighborhood groups?

A:  The awards are a chance to raise the visibility of the work of each of the groups you mentioned not only to the downtown community at-large but also to one another. It’s a way for people who care to see that there are lots of others who care, too, which opens the door for collaborative projects.

Q:  Talk to us about two of the winners: Best Small Green Space and Best Tree.  What are the attributes of the winners in these categories?

A:  The Best Small Green Space is a long-standing award category that recognizes green spaces less than an acre in size. This year, the Minneapolis College Courtyard won the award. The space is open not only for students and faculty but also for community members to enjoy. The Courtyard connects Hennepin Avenue to Loring Park to create a sense of continuity, and features native plants.

Minneapolis College courtyard

Giant cottonwood at Water Works Park.  Photo credit - Kurt Moses Photography

The Best Tree of 2024 is the Cottonwood tree that grows near the Mississippi River, at Water Works Park. I would highly recommend visiting the tree to see for yourself why this one won the award!

Q:  How are the winners recognized?

A:  The DID Sustainability Team placed Greening Awards Winner yard signs at the winning locations. Winners will also receive a commemorative plaque created by Wood from the Hood, a Minneapolis-based company that reclaims discarded trees from urban neighborhoods to created high-quality wood products, at the upcoming Downtown Greening & Public Realm: Awards & What's Next event on November 7th from 3:00-4:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church. We invite everyone to come – it is free of charge and will recognize the great work that goes into these projects. 

Q:  How may we follow news of these awards and other sustainable practices happening locally?

A:  Check out mplsdid.com/green for a wealth of information on sustainable practices in downtown.

2016 Green Awards, created by Wood from the Hood