AWARDS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The regeneration efforts realised have been recognised by several prestigious organisations: 2004- The IX edition of the BIENNIAL OF ARCHITECTURE OF VENICE awarded the special prize, Citta D'Aqua, to Bilbao Ría 2000 for the progress made on the River banks of Bilbao and Barakaldo. Bilbao's project was presented in Italy under the title “Industrial Banks - Urban Banks.” The jury gave special value to “the appropriate design of progress and appreciation of the river banks, as well as the correct definition and fulfilment of objectives allowing the former industrial areas to be rezoned.” 2004- ECTP - EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF TOWN PLANNERS awarded Bilbao Ría 2000 for the regeneration of Abandoibarra, Ametzola and the Southern Railway Bypass. 2005- Bilbao City Hall was awarded the PRIZE FOR CULTURE OF MANAGEMENT from the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani in recognition of the efforts to promote strategies for culture of management in the transformation of the city. 2005- INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF CITY REGIONAL PLANNERS (ISOCARP) presented Bilbao Ría 2000 with the Award for Excellence for “driving the transformation process of Metropolitan Bilbao.”
The Honourable Mayor Iñaki AZKUNA, Mayor of Bilbao graciously accepted the award in June 2010 in Singapore at the opening ceremony of the World City Summit 2010.
Motivated by all these awards and, above all, the exemplary transformation of Bilbao, the City was extended an invitation to participate in the WORLD EXPO 2010 SHANGHAI. Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona were the only Spanish cities invited to the exhibition.
Finally, the latest award that Bilbao received was during the Shanghai Expo. The I LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITY PRIZE, considered the Nobel Prize of cities, was awarded in recognition of the transformation process of Bilbao.
Finally, on January of 2013, Iñaki Azkuna, Mayor of Bilbao, has been awarded The 2012 WORLD MAYOR PRIZE. It has been said that Bilbao’s transformation from a declining industrial city in Spain’s northern Basque Province to an international centre for tourism and the arts has been sparked by two events: the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997 and the election of Iñaki Azkuna as mayor two years later.
DISTINGUISED AWARDS 2002 – Cities Awards for Ecellence (Fundación Metrópoli) 2003 – European Healthy City Award (Pfizer Foundation) 2004 – Città d’Acqua (La Biennale di Venezia) 2004 – European Urban and Regional Planning Awards (European Council of Town Planners) 2005 – Premio a la Cultura de Gestión (L’Asociazione Italiana del Consiglio del Comuni e delle Regioni d’Europa) 2006 – ISoCaRP Awards for Excellence (Internactional Society of City and Regional Planners-ISOCARP) 2006 – European Urban and Regional Planning Awards (European Council of Town Planners) 2006 – European Awards for Business Creativity (Unión Europea) 2010 – Exposición Universal de Shanghai 2010 – I Premio Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2011 – Livcom Awards (Premio Internacional por las Comunidades Sostenibles) – Categoría: Mejora de los Paisajes natural construido 2011 – Premio Europeo del Sector Público EPSA 2011 por su proyecto de “Gestión política basada en el rigor económico y en presupuestos estratégicos 2012 – Kirolaren Europako Hiria – Ciudad Europea del Deporte – European Capital of Spor 2012 – Bilbao Arena – Edificio del Año 2011 en Arquitectura deportiva – Arch Daily Awards 2013 – 2012 Word Mayor Prize, Iñaki Azkuna