With June officially designated “Smart Growth Month” in the city of San Diego, the 2005 Smart Growth Awards for Excellence Program on June 1 will recognize distinguished design achievements and visionaries. The San Diego/Tijuana chapter of The Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to responsible development, will hold the event from 7:15 to 9:30 a.m. at the Downtown Omni Hotel. It will recognize winners of three Smart Growth categories: project, plan and visionary. Tickets start at $30.

On June 10, ULI will present a Smart Growth Works event from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at USD. It will address economic, regulation, infrastructure and community values issues of smart growth. Four panels of public sector, financial, development and design professionals will offer differing perspectives on smart growth. Tickets start at $60.

Preregister for both events at at uli.org.

Applications for slices of a $17 million pie of smart growth federal funds will ensue this month, says Stephan Vance, a Sandag senior planner. After approval by Sandag in August and the California Transportation Commission in October, applicants will be sent checks for smart growth projects by late fall, Vance says.

A prototypical example of smart growth called Smart Corner is under way Downtown. Bordered by 11th Avenue, C Street and Broadway, Smart Corner combines affordable living and office space with 25,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and below-grade parking. The San Diego Trolley runs directly through the complex, and a trolley station lies at the center. Smart Corner is scheduled for completion in April 2007.