Programs > Community Vision Award

Read about the 2008 Community Vision Award:

San Diego Union Tribune

San Diego Metropolitan

The San Diego Architectural Foundation and County of San Diego have partnered in launching a Community Vision Award program, which includes both recognition of outstanding urban infill projects as well as a grant program.  The Community Vision Award is designed to recognize and promote the implementation of Smart Growth, collaborative, sustainable and green building practices in revitalizing urban areas of San Diego County.  The intent of the program is to encourage the construction of projects that will serve as examples for future urbanization throughout the region. We are honored to take part in this grant program, which provides a minimum $25,000 beautification grant to the community in which the recognized project is located.

The first award announcement was made on September 18, 2008. For a project to be considered for the 2009 award, nominations must be received no later than March 31, 2009. Nominations should include, at a minimum, the information and photos as requested on the nomination form outlining what the nominated project is and basis for the nomination.

The Community Vision Award program has come about through the leadership of the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors who, working with the SDAF, have committed $25,000 per year funding for 5 years to initiate this program. Additional program and event sponsorships are available.

Specific goals for the Community Vision Award program are to recognize projects which:
a. Exemplify design excellence
b. Demonstrate positive results of community interaction with design and development entities
c. Provide for “Smart Growth” in terms of both respecting existing community patterns and yet being additive to the quality

   and urban nature of a community.
d. Are designed and built with sustainable design and environmental sensitivities.

If your neighborhood organization has collaborated on a project in your community that exhibits the attached criteria, we encourage you to nominate that structure for the Community Vision Award. Alternatively, if you are aware of other projects outside of your immediate community but in the overall San Diego region that you feel demonstrates these standards, we encourage your nomination of that project as well.

Questions regarding this program may be addressed via e-mail to Foundation Executive Director Leslee Schaffer at lschaffer@sdarchitecture.org, or by calling the Foundation office at 619-232-1385.

Thank you for your consideration of this program and hopefully for your project nomination, or nominations if you are so inclined. We look forward to hearing from you!