Although located in the heart of Boston, the Northeastern campus is still filled with trees, flowers, and grassy quads. Since the late 1990s, Northeastern has been considered a model of design for urban universities and has twice won the "most beautiful new or renovated exterior space" award (presented by the American Institute of Architects) in 2001 and 2004. In 2019, the campus was officially designated as an arboretum by ArbNet, making it the only campus in Boston to receive the designation.