The urban design category of Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards honors products, packaging, and built projects designed to eliminate waste and reuse resources. This year’s winner, OJB Landscape Architecture’s Downtown Cary Park, is a multifaceted central park and gathering space for the North Carolina city, absorbing floodwaters and spurring a development boom in the area. See all the honorees below.

Finalists

Cambridge Crossing
CBT Architects

Heartwood Preserve Greenway System
Applied Underwriters, Meyer Studio Land Architects

Overlook Walk
Field Operations

Honorable Mentions

Dashi
Sasaki

Lyrik Back Bay
Elkus Manfredi Architects

Ruoholahti Computer Playground
City of Helsinki

Thailand Government Complex
Landprocess

This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. Explore the full list of companies creating products, reimagining spaces, and working to design a better world. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.