Little Island, a New York City public park, announced that they received a prestigious award. The park is one of ten projects across North America selected this year. It will also now advance to compete for a global award against projects from the Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
Located in Hudson River Park, Little Island features a gorgeous landscape with walking paths, performance spaces, and dazzling views. The Urban Land Institute selected the park for a 2023 Urban Land Institute Americas Award for Excellence in Urban Open Space.
After winning the regional Americas Award, Little Island will next compete for the Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence. The Urban Land Institute’s mission is to “shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.” The finalists and winners of their awards are also chosen by a jury made up of “leaders who represent a broad geographic diversity and many areas of real estate and land use expertise, including finance, planning, development, public affairs, design, and professional services, among others.”
“I’m so glad that in addition to making so many people happy when they come to Little Island, we are getting an award for excellence by the Urban Land Institute. It is a very special honor,” Barry Diller, the founder of Little Island said.
Little Island History
Diller, as part of the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, envisioned building the park in the remnants of Pier 54 after Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged the area. In partnership with Hudson River Park Trust leadership, Diller reimagined an entirely new type of public space for New York. He additionally hoped to create an immersive experience with nature and art.
“Through our partnership, the Hudson River Park Trust achieved its goal of delivering new public open space at one of the piers long planned to be rebuilt, but in a way that no one could have conceived of when the Park was being planned,” President and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust Noreen Doyle said. “Congratulations to Mr. Diller and The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, to every member of the engineering, design, planning and construction teams, and to the Little Island and Hudson River Park Trust staff members who pooled their talents for the public good. Thank you to the Urban Land Institute for recognizing their achievements.”
Little Island opened on May 21, 2021 as an oasis for New Yorkers. The park additionally boasts two acres of magnificent landscape, distinctive architecture, and an abundance of free education programs and performances. Since opening, Little Island has welcomed over 3.5 million visitors and hosted over 572 free performances and 245 arts workshops.
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