Entries are now open to students in the Urban SOS: Distressed Cities, Creative Responses competition from EDAW.

The competition asks students to submit innovative solutions to environmental, social and economic issues facing the world’s cities.

“More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas,” says Jason Prior – President of EDAW.

“In many urban places however, serious challenges affect quality of life, limit opportunities, and perpetuate inequalities.

“We want to encourage students’ fresh ideas and creative solutions to a range of real issues.”

The competition (through EDAW) is offering US $20,000 in prize money.

Entries are open to individuals or teams of up to four undergraduate and graduate students from the fields of design and planning and from all countries.

To enter, students need to address an actual site from any city from across the globe, developing “develop an intervention that offers lasting improvement to problems ranging from economic collapse, environmental degradation, social disintegration, civil unrest, climate change, or natural disaster.”

Final board submissions are due 31 July 2009 and semi-finalists will be announced on 1 September 2009.

Following a mentoring program with an EDAW team member, finalist will be decided and the top four will travel to Barcelona, Spain for the World Architecture Festival in November ‘09. There, they will present their treatments to a jury panel.

Click here to register and provide statements of interest before 15 May to take part.

EDAW
edaw.com