BROWNSVILLE NABS PRESTIGIOUS URBAN USA DESIGN AWARD; GONZALEZ GETS URBAN PLANNERS' "MR. FIX IT" PRIZE

The National Association of Urban Architects and Planners (NAUAP) has named Brownsville, Texas as winner of its 2021 Creative Urban Sustainable Assets Award. That award is given to the urban area of more than 100,000 population that makes use of existing urban assets to provide a public service. 

In presenting the award NAUAP President P. Uropedo commended the South Texas city for providing local bus stops/shelters "demonstrating a brilliant synergistic creativity" in utilizing existing commercial structures (the Chase Bank sign) and seamlessly merging the private partner with the public multimodal function (bus service). We salute the leadership of CJPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase Bank, for partnering for implementation of this cutting-edge innovation which redefines community engagement and demonstrates their civic commitment.

"The concept of using existing commercial appendages with the provision of shade/shelter for its bus riders is a brilliant application of serendipity in public-service planning. Our other members should take notice and follow their example. This multi-functional approach frees up dwindling municipal revenues for other basic necessities like hike and bike trails, which Brownsville has also done and are waiting for their use to surge as local residents are encouraged and coerced to take up cycling as a proven healthy choice activity," P. Uropedo stated.   

The NAUAP membership conference was held in Lima, Ohio, and its membership is made up of urban planners and architects from those 310 cities in the United States considered at least medium cities with populations of 100,000 or more. The NAUAP held its awards conference in this city of 38,000 to demonstrate its support to smaller cities under its "Little Bro" program to foster growth in the Midwest. During the awards presentations, the association recognized Ramiro Gonzalez, Director of Government and Community Affairs at City of Brownsville, Texas, as this year's NAUAP "Mr. Fix-It" Award.

"When things look tough for city elected officials, they can rest easy if Gonzalez is on the city staff," said NAUAP President P. Uropedo told the attendees. "If something can be done, results notwithstanding, Gonzalez is the guy to do it. If you need to raise parking rates in the downtown core and the majority of the people disapprove, trust Gonzalez to go through the motions of community engagement – "Ram" it down their throats he calls it – and at the end of the process deliver you a mandate to raise them with apparent public support and little or no negative political feedback."

He is also a fervid supporter of elected officials initiatives to allot scant public funds to projects their peers support. And talking of support, Gonzalez, who was one of the planners at the origin of the creation of the city's need for hike-and-bike trails, shows a personal dedication to this initiative. In the photo below, he is pictured above astride his necessarily sturdy steed during a pre-pandemic Charro Days, a pre-Lenten fiesta of a purely commercial nature. Congratulations Ramiro. Nothing a bike can't fix. With a few more rides on the trials, you should return to your old svelte former self."