Northeastern University professor Ted Landsmark recently received the 2024 Boston Public Library’s Druker Award for his leadership in urban planning and design.
Landsmark is a distinguished professor of public policy and urban affairs and the director of Northeastern’s Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy.
The Druker Award is presented yearly to a Boston leader “who has made outstanding and important contributions to the world of design,” according to the library. The award itself is made in the style of the copper griffins placed along the 176-year old library’s roof.
Along with the award, Landsmark also delivered a lecture hosted at the library on Nov. 16.
For decades, Landsmark has served on public and nonprofit boards such as the Boston Planning and Development Agency, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Trustees of Reservations, Museum of Fine Arts and Institute of Contemporary Art, as well as Historic Boston, the Mayor’s Institute on City Design, Green Ribbon Commission, Leventhal Map and Education Center, and various architectural design boards.
“I’ve volunteered with these groups to give back to urban areas some of the knowledge and expertise I’ve acquired from working on planning issues within under-represented communities,” Landsmark said. “I address issues of racial equity, negative impacts on economically disadvantaged communities, and on the hierarchies of power that often exclude impacted communities from determining what is best for their future interests.”
“It is an honor to bestow the Druker Award upon Ted Landsmark, whose visionary leadership and lifelong commitment to civic engagement, urban planning, education, and equity have left a lasting mark on the city of Boston and beyond,” Boston Public Library President David Leonard said. “Ted’s insights into the power of architecture and public space continue to inspire us at the BPL, where we strive to build equitable and transformative spaces for all.”