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Moore Square Receives IDA Downtown Achievement Award

The International Downtown Association recognized Sasaki’s Moore Square in Raleigh, North Carolina with the Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence. The Award of Excellence acknowledges an excellent response to an urban place management challenge, demonstrating application of industry knowledge and exceeding the jury criteria.

Moore Square was among 12 qualified entries in the category of Planning, Design, and Infrastructure which IDA identifies as one of the seven professional urban place management practice areas. This category features unique organizational approaches and projects in the areas of downtown master planning, streetscape improvements, sustainable infrastructure, and way-finding.

Since 1792, Moore Square has been a place of gathering, reflection, entertainment, and recreation for the citizens of Raleigh. The four-acre downtown urban green space was originally conceived as one of five public green spaces for the City of Raleigh. In recent years, frequent large-scale events and daily use have taken their toll on the park’s vegetation, soils, and paving. This pressure, combined with the planned development in the surrounding neighborhood, prompted the city to renovate Moore Square to meet the changing needs of its users.

Sasaki worked alongside Agency Landscape & Planning, Kimley Horn, Landis, Bartlett Tree Experts, Dewberry, Hanbury Preservation, HLB, Fluidity, Kofi Boone, HR&A and Artist Brad Goldberg on the design for the park, which includes a building with a food and beverage servery, a park manager’s office, and restrooms. The building is seamlessly integrated into a civic plaza at the heart of the park that also features a shade trellis, an interactive water area, and children’s play area. The center of the square features an open green space for community events and programs. The recent reactivation of downtown has brought Raleigh residents to the square for markets, movies, a jazz series, busker series, and festivals such as the Hopscotch Music Festival.

“Sasaki has demonstrated skillful application of urban place management principles with Moore Square,” said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “The project should serve as a framework to all member communities within IDA.”

About Sasaki

At Sasaki, we believe in the transformative power of place. Places transcend physical spaces, becoming the context and the content of our experience of life. For over sixty years, Sasaki has brought together the best of landscape architecture, planning, urban design, architecture, interior design, civil engineering, graphic design, place branding, and data science to shape the places in which we live. Out of our Boston and Shanghai offices we are defining the contours of place and redefining what’s possible along the way. Today, we are a diverse practice of 270+ professionals who share a singular passion for creating spaces and places around the world that prove human potential.

About IDA

The International Downtown Association is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. Their members are city builders and downtown champions who bring urban centers to life, bridging the gap between the public and private sectors. IDA represents an industry of more than 2,500 place management organizations, employing 100,000 people throughout North America and growing rapidly around the world. Founded in 1954, IDA is a resource center for ideas and innovative best practices in urban place management. For more information, visit downtown.org.

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