The 2008 Green Building Competition for New York City, sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and the New York City Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, announced the winners of its third competition in September. The sponsors use the competition to showcase New York as a leader in green building and how it can be incorporated into an urban environment. Projects were eligible in three categories: built, design/construction project for projects under construction, and conceptual design. Projects were judged by their use of site, energy, water, materials, indoor air quality, and process. The jury was made up of architects, green building experts, urban design experts, and policy advisers. It chose six projects, five in Manhattan and one in the Bronx.

Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects' Visionaire condo building (shown) and Dattner Architects' maintenance facility for Battery Park City Conservancy were awarded grand prizes. Flank Architects' Bowery Hotel and AQC Architects' West Harlem Environmental Action center were named winners. Honorable mentions were given to Foster + Partners' Hearst Tower and to Community Environmental Center's condos at 1347 Bristow Street in the Bronx.