The Fifth Street Crossing project Downtown that I mentioned just a couple days ago has received the prestigious CLIDE Award.
 
This type of project represents one of my goals for running for the Council. As I said then, "If we successfully help Garland become the place we are proud of, others will come to share that excitement and will invest to be a part of it." I am excited to see that vision becoming reality.
 

Announcing the 2009 Celebrating Leadership in Development Excellence (CLIDE) Award Winners

April 30, 2009 - Nine projects from across the North Texas region have been selected as recipients of the 2009 Celebrating Leadership in Development Excellence (CLIDE) Awards. The winning projects and their categories are:

• 5th Street Station at Garland Crossing, Garland - New Development Category
• One Arts Plaza, Dallas – New Development Category
• 925 Main, Grapevine – Redevelopment Category
• Museum Place, Fort Worth – Redevelopment Category
• The Depot, Fort Worth – Redevelopment Category
• The Bridge, Dallas – Special Development Category
• Development and Implementation of the Dallas Green Building Ordinance, Dallas – Public Policy and Planning Category
• City of Richardson 2009 Comprehensive Plan, Richardson – Public Policy and Planning Category
• McKinney Town Center Study Initiative, McKinney – Public Policy and Planning Category

The nine winners were selected from a field of 35 applicants. The awards will be presented on June 12, 2009 at the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ General Assembly luncheon at the DFW Hyatt.
 
The biannual CLIDE Awards honor development and planning projects that exemplify the region’s Ten Principles of Development Excellence, which outline a vision for sustainable, livable communities in North Texas. They center on providing choices for how and where people choose to live and work, promoting walkable environments, transportation and resource-efficient growth, and mixed use and environmentally-responsible development—all in quality places that people will be proud to inhabit.
 
More information on the CLIDE Awards is available at www.developmentexcellence.com.
 

 
"The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), together with private and public partners, works to help create a Sustainable North Texas region that is recognized nationwide as a center of development excellence. Our goal is a region where residents, businesses, and visitors enjoy a built environment that creates a true sense of place; uses water, energy, and environmental resources effectively and efficiently; protects a diversity of habitats; reduces Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT); and supports public health and quality of life. To achieve these aims, regional leaders have adopted Ten Principles of Development Excellence and NCTCOG carries out various strategic initiatives, including support for Vision North Texas, the CLIDE Awards Program, a Regional Repository of Best Practices, Sustainable Development activities, and many others." [From North Central Texas Council of Governments website]