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This year’s honorees

Project of the Year

The Project of the Year award celebrates and recognizes the Davis Center at Harlem Meer, the culmination of more than four decades of commitment from the Central Park Conservancy to ensure all New Yorkers can enjoy world-class public space. Conceived as part of a larger re-envisioning of the site by the Conservancy’s landscape architecture team, the Davis Center was designed by Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture ∙ Design and Mitchell Giurgola Architects in collaboration with the Conservancy. The Davis Center seamlessly integrates into Central Park’s north end, reconnecting the community with nature and restoring access to the landscape that was once obstructed. This welcoming new space is a testament to the power of what is possible when civic projects are undertaken with the highest standards of design excellence.

Elizabeth​“Betsy” Smith, President & CEO, will accept the award on behalf of the Central Park Conservancy. For the last eight years, Smith’s top priorities have been to guide the Conservancy in its efforts to preserve Central Park’s essential purpose as a retreat from the pressures of city life and to elevate the profile of the Conservancy as the Park’s primary steward and anchor institution critical to the health and vibrancy of the city.

Shekar Krishnan is the NYC Council Member for District 25, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Woodside, Queens, three of the most diverse immigrant communities in the world. He is the first Indian-American ever elected to the City Council in NYC history. Shekar is also Chair of the Council’s Committee On Parks and Recreation. He negotiated the highest budget ever for NYC Parks. As Parks Chair, Shekar has approached access to parks and expanding green space as a key component of social, racial, and immigrant justice.

Before his election to City Council, Shekar was a long-time community activist in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst and civil rights lawyer fighting housing discrimination. He co-founded the legal services organization Communities Resist, a legal services organization highly acclaimed citywide for its community-rooted, intersectional approach to housing and racial justice in North Brooklyn and Queens. Shekar began his legal career with the landmark Broadway Triangle fair housing struggle against the City of New York, a successful case challenging a rezoning under the Fair Housing Act. He also co-founded Friends of Diversity Plaza. Located on the border of Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, Diversity Plaza has become a national symbol of how public space can bring people together.

Making it Happen

RPA is proud to honor the Commissioners of the Gateway Development Commission with the 2025 Making it Happen award for their leadership on the transformational Hudson River Tunnel project––the cornerstone of the Gateway Program. Their vision, tenacity, and coordination across agencies and jurisdictions are a model for regional collaboration and long-term planning. The Gateway Development Commissioners are making the region stronger, more connected, and more competitive—now and into the future.

Above and Beyond

This year’s Above and Beyond awardee is Dr. Eugenie L. Birch, who has been shaping RPA’s work for over a decade as a supporter, a board member, and a globally respected leader in urban policy and planning. In the early 1990s, she served on the New York City Planning Commission and, in 2002, was a member of the jury that selected the designers for the World Trade Center site. She is the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research at the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research. Currently, she is co-chair, Secretariat, SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance.

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