August 2, 2004—Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) has named BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of Environmental Building News, the 2004 recipient of the Lewis Mumford Award for Environment. ADPSR instituted the Mumford awards in 1992 “to honor people and organizations that exemplify the ADPSR goals of peace, preservation of the natural and built environment, and socially responsible development.” According to ADPSR, “Mumford’s writings continue to inspire and remind us that architecture, planning and design must respond to human need, harmonize with its surroundings, and reflect the aspirations and social context of our civilization.”
The award is named for Lewis Mumford (1895-1990), an internationally renowned writer, philosopher, architectural critic, artist, and humanist. In 1923, Mumford was a cofounder of the Regional Planning Association of America, which advocated for city planning that was integrated into the region. He went on to serve as the architectural critic for The New Yorker for over thirty years, and he received the National Book Award for his 1961 book, The City in History. While he supported American entry into World War II, he was an early critic of nuclear weapons in 1946 and of the Vietnam War in 1965. Mumford received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. He authored 30 books, including his 1982 autobiography.
The Mumford Awards fall into three categories: Peace, Development, and Environment.
