Cities for Our Future – Global Competition

Description

The Cities for our Future Challenge is a global competition run by the Royal Institution Of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in partnership with UNESCO UKNC and the ACU.

Are you an imaginative, problem solving young professional, start up or student involved in surveying, urban design, architecture,or engineering? Then share your transformative ideas for projects and policies that solve some of the defining issues of our time: Rapid Urbanisation, Climate Change and Resource Scarcity.

The winner will receive a £50,000 prize and mentoring with industry experts to bring their idea to life.

TOPICS

For 150 years, RICS have set the standard by which the world builds, through our professional qualifications and standards. We have identified three core issues that must be met with innovative problem solving if the cities of our future are going to be places people want to live, work and do business.

RAPID URBANISATION

Globally, 3 million people move to urban areas every week. Our cities are struggling to cope with the huge demands being placed on infrastructure, services, housing, transportation and the environment. Almost all future urban population growth will take place in African and Asian countries (International Organisation for Migration), where approximately one third of the population will live in slums.

Although this huge transition towards being an urbanised, global society presents significant challenges, it also represents a powerful opportunity for emerging cities to be designed in a way that is sustainable and inclusive.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Cities contribute a disproportionate amount to climate change. Although they cover less than 2% of the earth’s surface, cities consume 78% of the world’s energy and produce more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions (UN Habitat), mainly through energy generation, vehicles, and industry.

Imaginative countermeasures need to be implemented in developing and developed cities, targeting longevity and low energy use. Whilst the reliance on cars must be reduced further, green spaces in unexpected places can also mitigate heavy carbon dioxide emissions while providing enjoyable spaces for people in congested cities.

RESOURCE SCARCITY

By 2030, it’s predicted that the global, urban population will demand 35% more food, 40% more water, and 50% more energy (PWC). The pressure on our planet to supply finite resources to rapidly expanding cities is complicated by climate change and is an immediate threat to the way we live and work.

Changes in rainfall and temperature are predicted to significantly reduce agricultural productivity across large parts of Africa by 2030 (Science), estimates suggest that two thirds of the world’s population could experience water scarcity by 2025 (UN DESA), and it is forecast that renewable energy will only account for 23% of energy use in 2040 (EIA). Cities must implement policies, action plans and projects to feed, water, and fuel their growing urban populations in a sustainable way whilst reducing their ecological footprint.

THE COMPETITION TIMELINE

Submit your idea by 31 May 2018.

Submit your entry by selecting a challenge by core topic and region of the world. The best entries will be shortlisted in June 2018, and each entrant will receive mentoring from a RICS professional to help develop their idea ready for the final global judging.

An international judging panel will select the final winner from the shortlisted applicants in November 2018.

HOW TO ENTER

• First, choose the topic you want to tackle: Rapid Urbanisation, Resource Scarcity or Climate Change, then select the city you’d most like to create a solution for
• Read the brief and download the entry document.
• Fill in the document with your entry and then submit it online by 31 May 2018. All entries must be in English.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Exciting, innovative ideas that help solve Rapid Urbanisation, Resource Scarcity and Climate Change. Our judges will rate your idea based on impact, excitement, scale, relevance and feasibility.