WIKITOPIA INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Description

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

The competition will be held in two phases: Phase 1 Competition and Phase 2 Competition. Participants can submit entries to either one of the two phases, or submit separate entries to both if they choose. However, as part of the winner-selection procedure for Phase 2, we are planning to introduce a web-based, democratic decision making process that involves all participants, including those that had only submitted to Phase 1. Please kindly consider taking part in this process, even if you are only interested in submitting to Phase 1.
We expect that entries to this competition will play significant roles in shaping the future of the Wikitopia Project — in this sense, everyone who contributes ideas will become a de-facto collaborator of our project (note that the Wikitopia Project will not claim copyright over the submitted works; all copyright regarding entries will belong to their original authors). We hope to see novel submissions that go beyond existing thoughts about how urban spaces/systems are designed, implemented, and used.

• Phase 1 Competition Deadline: September 24 (Mon), 2018 (23:59 PDT)

• Phase 2 Competition Deadline: December 28 (Fri), 2018 (23:59 PDT)


PHASE 1 COMPETITION

Theme: “Apps for Wikitopia (Ginza)”
Site: Ginza area, Tokyo
Deadline: September 24 (Mon), 2018 (23:59 PDT)

GUIDELINES

In the Phase 1 Competition, we solicit new “apps” that will become the foundational building blocks of Wikitopia — “future cities created by everyone”. Here, we use the term “app” to refer to any idea that “affects urban space or people’s activities within it, through spontaneous actions of citizens (physical, digital, or a combination thereof)”.

1) Innovative Hardware
Ideas involving new urban hardware (buildings, spaces, facilities, etc.) that contribute to the Wikitopia vision. Examples include public furniture or small parks that can be built spontaneously by members of the local community, and digital signboards whose contents can be controlled by the public.

2) Innovative IT Systems
Ideas about new IT systems that affect the city’s functions and/or people’s behaviors within it. Examples include a web-based system that facilitates use of underutilized spaces as stores, stages, etc., and an augmented-reality system that allows anyone to overlay virtual information onto the urban environment.

3) Innovative Planning
Ideas related to new programs, regulations, events, etc. that support DIY-style urbanism. Examples include deregulation proposals that facilitate citizen participation in DIY urbanism projects, spontaneously held workshops, and new procedures by which public space (streets, plazas, etc.) is designed and built.


PHASE 2 COMPETITION

Theme: “Apps for Wikitopia (Ginza Sony Park)”
Site: Ginza Sony Park (5-3-1 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo)
Deadline: December 28 (Fri), 2018 (23:59 PDT)

GUIDELINES

Again, as with the Phase 1 Competition, we solicit new “apps” that will become the foundational building blocks of Wikitopia — “future cities created by everyone”. (Please read through the Phase 1 competition brief for an explanation on what we refer to as “apps” here.) However, for the Phase 2 Competition we will introduce the following two conditions:
First, in the Phase 2 Competition, we solicit ideas that either build on, or combine entries to the Phase 1 Competition (which will be showcased on this website in early October 2018). In software engineering, it is routine to incrementally improve existing applications (e.g., version 1.0 -> version 1.1), or to develop new applications by combining components of existing software. Through the format of the Phase 2 Competition, we wish to test whether such software engineering practices can be applied to DIY-style urbanism. Within your submissions, please clearly indicate which Phase 1 entry/entries your new ideas are based on.

Also, in the Phase 2 Competition the site is more narrowly defined; this time, we solicit ideas targeting Ginza Sony Park (to be open August 2018), or areas in its immediate vicinity. The Wikitopia Project will consider collaborating with the winners of the Phase 2 Competition, to actually deploy the ideas on site in 2019 or beyond.

As with the Phase 1 Competition, we expect ideas from a multitude of perspectives and disciplinary backgrounds.