Norman B. Leventhal Awards 2020
December 8th, 2020 | 4PM – 5PM | VIRTUAL EVENT
Named in memory of A Better City’s founding director, the Norman B. Leventhal Excellence in City Building Awards recognized the leaders and innovators who have made significant contributions to our built environment in the areas of City Builder, the Environment, Land Use, and Transportation.
This year, we have the honor of recognizing four incredible individuals:
2019 HONOREES
Infrastructure
Joe Albanese, Founder & CEO of Commodore Builders
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Environment
L. Rafael Reif President of MIT & the MIT Sustainability Team
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Land Development
Rosemarie Sansone, President & CEO of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District
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Lifetime Achievement
Ambassador Raymond Flynn
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2018 HONOREES
Transportation
Robin Chase, Co-Founder of Zipcar and Veniam
Land Development
Ronald Druker, President of the Druker Company
Environment
Valerie Roberson, President of Roxbury Community College. Valerie's award was accepted on her behalf by Deborah Adesiji.
2017 HONOREES
Visionary
Mayor Marty Walsh, City of Boston
Transportation
Thomas Tinlin, Former Highway Administrator, MassDOT
Land Development
Robert Beal, Former President, Related Beal
Environment
Cathy Douglas Stone, Former Chief of Environmental Services, City of Boston
2017 Sponsors
2016 HONOREES
Transportation
Thomas Glynn, Chief Executive Officer, Massport
Land Development
Cambridge Innovation Center
Brian Dacey, President
Tim Rowe, Chief Executive Officer
Environment
University of Massachusetts Boston
Ellen Douglas PhD, Associate Professor
Paul Kirshen PhD, Professor
2015 Honorees
Distinguished Leadership
Governor Michael Dukakis
Transportation
Michael Capuano, US Representative, 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts
Land Development
John Drew, President & CEO, Drew Company Inc.
Environment
Boston Medical Center
- Kate Walsh, President & CEO
- Robert Biggio, Vice President of Facilities & Support Services
2014 Honorees
Transportation
- Robert A. DeLeo, Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Therese Murray, Massachusetts Senate
- Stephen M. Brewer, Senate Committee on Ways and Means
- Thomas M. McGee, Joint Committee on Transportation
- Brian S. Dempsey, House Committee on Ways and Means
- William M. Straus, Joint Committee on Transportation
Land Development
Steven B. Samuels, Samuels & Associates
Environment
Frederick A. Laskey, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Distinguished Leadership
Deval L. Patrick, Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2013 Honorees
Transportation
Fred Salvucci, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Land Development
Thomas J. Hynes Jr., Colliers International
Environment
Gary L. Gottlieb, M.D., Partners Healthcare
Lifetime Achievement
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston
2012 Honorees
Transportation
Jane Garvey, Meridiam Infrastructure
Land Development
Lawrence Cancro, Boston Red Sox
Environment
Amos Hostetter, Pilot House Associates (Continental Cablevision)
2011 Honorees
Transportation
Frank DePaola, MassDOT (Accelerated Bridge Program & Fast 14 I-93 Rapid Bridge Replacement Project)
Land Development
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston
Environment
Bryan Koop, Boston Properties, Inc.
History of Norman B. Leventhal and the Awards
Mr. Leventhal, who was born in 1917 and raised in Boston, was recognized many times throughout his life for contributions to the built environment in Boston, including Center Plaza, Rowes Wharf, South Station, One Post Office Square, the Hotel Meridien and affordable housing. He was the founding chairman of A Better City (formerly known as the Artery Business Committee) and championed the organization's transition to focusing on a larger breadth of initiatives in the Boston area following the completion of the Central Artery Tunnel Project.
In 1945, Normal Leventhal co-founded Beacon Construction Company, which grew to become an award-winning developer and manager of office buildings, affordable housing and hotels.
In 1997, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino named the park in Post Office Square “Norman B. Leventhal Park” in recognition of his leadership of the Friends of Post Office Square and in the demolition and revitalization of what was previously a multi-story parking garage.
In 2003, Mr. Leventhal, in partnership with the Boston Public Library, established The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library. The Map Center is dedicated to education through the use of maps and provides public access to the Center’s extensive collection of 250,000 maps and atlases.
In 2007, Mr. Leventhal was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Mayor Menino formally designated The Walk to the Sea as the “Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea” in recognition of his role in shaping the new Boston. He served as a life member emeritus of the MIT Corporation. He was a board member and former chairman of the Friends of Post Office Square and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.
In 2011, A Better City hosted the first Norman B. Leventhal Awards ceremony to honor those in the Boston region who continued Norman's legacy of impact on the city's growth and quality of life. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 97, having left an indelible mark on Boston's public space and built environment.
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