What is the award

APWA developed the Top Ten Public Works Projects of the Century Program to honor the ten most outstanding public works projects of the 20th Century that significantly affected and improved the quality of life in the United States or Canada.  The goal was to generate awareness of the positive contributions public works has made as well as to build appreciation for public works and its contributions to North America.

The program considered public works contributions from projects of all sizes and agencies of all levels of government within the United States, Canada, and their territories.  Projects did not still need to be in existence or actively used to be eligible.