Honors and Distinctions

Community Identity and Public Places Celebrating and shaping the community's identity
  • Since 1983, the Town of Normal has annually hosted the Sugar Creek Arts Festival, ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 arts festivals, with more than 100 locally and nationally acclaimed artists drawing over 20,000 attendees each year! 
  • Town was awarded a Landmarks Illinois award in 1996 for the restoration of the Normal Theater. The award is formally called the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award in the category of Preservation Project of the Year.
  • Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Stewardship. Recognized the Town’s commitment to historic preservation of the Van Leer Mansion through an innovative partnership with the private property owner. (2018)
  • AIA named the Children’s Discovery Museum among Illinois’s 200 Great Places (2018)
  • AIA named the Normal Theater among Illinois’s 200 Great Places (2018) 
Economic Vitality maintaining strength by diversifying economies and fostering innovation
Health and Sustainability improving the health of individuals and the natural environment
  • National Award for Smart Growth Achievement (2011)
  • The Town of Normal has a AAA financial rating from Fitch Ratings, a top credit rating agency.

The Town annually earns the following financial accolades from the Government Finance Officers Association:

  1. Distinguished Budget Award (2022)
  2. Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award (2022)
  • Nearly 15 years ago (2007), Mayor Koos became one of the early signatories of the US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. 
  • Since 2014, the Town of Normal has been designated a Bicycle Friendly Community. 
  • Mayor’s Monarch Pledge 
  • Tree City USA
housing Aligning housing policies to smart growth principles and adapting to demographic and market
Humanitarian and social aspects Fostering a culture of equitable treatment of all
town and gown collaborating with higher education institutions
  • American Society of Landscape Architects – Illinois Chapter award winner for the design of Uptown Circle (2010)
  • Illinois Chapter of American Planning Association Public Outreach Award for the innovate way we collaborated with the City of Bloomington, McLean County Regional Planning, and Bloomington Housing Authority staff to create the Consolidated Plan that is required to receive CDBG funds. (2020) 
  • Bicycle Friendly Community designation in at the Bronze level (2014 and 2018)
  • Livability (2016) ranks Normal and Bloomington among the Top 10 Affordable Places to Live in the U.S.
  • Advancing Community Access Award from LIFE-CIL (2017)
  • Certified ADA Coordinator (2021)
Infrastructure and Public Safety creating and maintaining strong foundation of quality of place
  • 20 years ago, (2002) Normal became the first municipality to require LEED certification for all new private buildings in Uptown Normal. (LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
  • EV Town since 2011, recognizing the value of encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles and understanding the impact EVs have in our community and beyond. 
  • The Town of Normal Comprehensive Plan received the Daniel Burnham Award for an Outstanding Comprehensive Plan from the Illinois chapter of the American Planning Association (ILAPA) (2018)
  • Uptown Circle Awards
    • The National Award for Smart Growth Achievement for a Civic Place (2011)
    • Transportation Planning Excellence Award by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration (2012)
  • Uptown Circle: Transportation Planning Excellence Awards (2012)
  • Urban Land Institute Open Space Award finalist for Uptown Circle. (2020) 
    • A great honor to be selected from nominees across North and South America.