«  
  »

Urban SOS (EDAW AECOM Student Competition)

Type: Student, International, ideas
Fee: none

Timetable:
15 May 2009 Registration Deadline
31 July 2009 Submission Deadline
1 September 2009 Announcement of the Semi-finalists
4-6 November 2009 Presentation & Critique of Semi-Finalists’ Submissions at the World Architecture Festival

Awards:

Each of the four semi-finalist teams will receive an honorarium to contribute to travel expenses related to attending the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona to present the team’s submission.  The semi-finalist honoraria are to contribute to expenses related to attendance and presentation at the World Architecture Festival only and cannot be exchanged for other prize. In addition, each team will receive US$500 to contribute to additional costs.  No other costs or fees will be covered by EDAW or the sponsors.

The winning team (or teams) will receive a cash prize.  The total prize money is valued at US$20,000, which may be divided amongst one or more winning team.

Design Challenge:

In an increasingly urban world, people across the globe are experiencing the opportunities and challenges that come with rapid urban growth and the evolution of cities. This includes many economic, social and cultural opportunities offered by urban areas, which often drive economic growth, and provide the cradle for social and cultural change. However, people in many urban areas face a range of challenges that affect quality of life, limit opportunities and perpetuate inequalities. These urban problems include:

* Environmental pollution
* Social disintegration
* Economic collapse
* Effects of global warming
* Impacts of natural disaster
* Ecological degradation
* Civil unrest

In many places, the benefits of urban growth are maximised and these challenges are mitigated through formal processes of regulation and positive city planning. However, alongside formal processes of city planning, formal urban development and planned investment, much urban change is the result of informal processes and the activity of individuals or initiative of communities. This informal activity operates at many scales, from the spontaneous development of large informal settlements, community-scale initiatives, to the activity of individuals. Often these informal processes are in response to the inability of formal structures to react appropriately or quickly enough to urban pressures and challenges.

For more information and to enter, go to:
www.edaw.com/urbansos/home.aspx#

Email: info@millennium-school.org