Early bird deadline! The Pineapples awards for place 2023

Entries have opened for The Pineapples 2023, with the call for entries opening on 31st October with an early bird deadline of December 31, 2022. 

The Pineapples are the only awards that celebrate excellence in place-based design and development in recognising projects that make a meaningful social impact in a range of categories, from Creative Retrofit and Public Space to Activation and Place of the Year.

The awards feature a robust and enjoyable judging process that includes visits to built works, live presentations to the judges and a fun prize-giving party where the golden pineapples trophies are presented. Another unique feature of The Pineapples is the fact that multiple winners can be awarded in each category.

Key dates for The Pineapples 2023

31 October 2022: Call for entries opens

15 December 2022: Early bird entry deadline  

26 January 2023: Final entry deadline 

6 March 2023: Shortlist announcement  

27- 31 March 2023: Festival of Pineapples (Finalist live presentations digital event)

May 2023: Awards party, London 

5 July 2023: Festival of Place (Pineapples stage with selected presentations)

Two new categories have been announced – Future Place: Public Realm and Climate Resilience – alongside categories including Community Engagement, Activation, Creative Retrofit, International Future Place, Public Space, Future Place, Place in Progress and Place of the Year.

The expert judges for The Pineapples include developers, investors, architects, academics and consultants. Magali Thomson, Project Lead for Placemaking, Great Ormond Street Hospital, who judged The Pineapples in 2022, said she enjoyed "getting the opportunity to visit recent high-quality examples of placemaking. Also allowing myself time to think, spend time on and evaluate them."

Deborah Broomfield, Doctoral Researcher, Leeds Beckett University also enjoyed visiting Birmingham shortlisted projects with judge Blossom Young, Head of Operations, Poplar Harca. "It was useful to share perspectives and view the city though a different lens. I learnt a lot from visiting with Blossom." Broomfield’s top tip for this year’s contestants is to, "Enter from a position of authenticity. Don’t present aspects and use words that you feel that judges would want to hear. Be prepared to disclose what you learned from your experience."

Thompson also shared some advice for Pineapple contenders: "Really focus on the user experience, relating this to all users from different backgrounds and ages. Also consider the impact of the environment on people’s health and happiness."

All built shortlisted projects are visited by at least one judge prior to the judging event, who will assess the quality of these places using methodology developed with the Design Council and shaped using the 12 principles of public space by the Gehl Institute and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Judges can also choose to award a Pineapple to more than one project in each category. 

Shortlisted projects are presented in front of a live audience at our free-to-attend digital event on Airmeet from 27-31 March 2023. Each shortlisted project will have 10 minutes to present their project, followed by 10 minutes of questions by our expert judges. Select projects may also be invited to present at The Festival of Place on 6 July, our major in-person event. In 2022, approximately 800 professionals attended The Pineapples presentations online. 

Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, The Pineapples awards party features live entertainment, a drinks reception and relaxed awards presentations of the coveted golden pineapple trophies.