At AD, we like to think good design can solve any problem. The Center for Active Design, a nonprofit working to improve community health and happiness through design, is good evidence for that claim. CfAD's stated mission is to "use design to foster healthy and engaged activities." Today, the organization announces the winners of its fourth annual Excellence Awards, shining a light on eight individuals, projects, and companies that are successfully working to achieve that mission and, in the process, proving the power of good design. The winners were selected by a jury comprised of architects, design professors, and health industry professionals. They span the globe, ranging from a tech company office in Brooklyn to a city in Italy to a bike program in Georgia, all of which demonstrate how active design has gone from a fringe concept to an integral aspect of architecture and urban planning.
"Over the five years since CfAD was launched, we’ve seen a shift in the demand for healthy communities that is now being led by the residents and employees within our communities," says Joanna Frank, CfAD's president and CEO. "As is evidenced by this year’s winners, cities, real estate developers, businesses, and designers are meeting this demand by prioritizing health within their respective industries."