The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) at the University of Calgary has announced the winners of an international design ideas competition at a virtual event. Titled CBDX: CITIES FOR ALL, the competition sparked an international discussion around equitable, inclusive cities.
Organized in teams of one to five, 405 people from around the world participated. The competition elicited 145 submissions from 108 cities, representing 26 different countries.
Team: Gi chul Choe (South Korea), Joanne Li (China)
The competition call asked, “How might matters of equity and activism, ecology and environment, and health and wellness converge, and unfold, within our future cities?”
“The climate crisis and social inequality have converged against the backdrop of a pandemic, prompting us to rethink the way cities are being designed, built and operated. It is an opportunity for architects, planners, landscape architects, and other creative practitioners and students to imagine how we can make our futures better for everyone. The ideas generated from this competition offer a glimpse into how a city for all might look, how it might operate, and how it might come into being,” says John L. Brown, SAPL Dean.
Team: Diana Guo (Canada), Tian Wei Li (Canada), Joanne Li (China)
The three winning entries—”2050 Lagos Amphibious City,” by Gi chul Choe (South Korea) and Joanne Li (China), “Brewing Flower Power: An Ice Teaporium Celebrating Women’s Rights,” submitted by Diana Guo (Canada), Tian Wei Li (Canada) and Joanne Li (China), and “Process not Product” from Mattie Wong (USA) — all addressed the competition prompt in innovative and refreshing ways.
Team: Mattie Wong (USA)
As assistant professor, Alberto de Salvatierra, inaugural faculty lead and jury chair, describes, “Cities—which often ossify systemic inequities through the built environment — have become the fulcrum upon which movements for equity and justice have found increasing leverage. Solutions must come from, and be for, everyone. This competition provides a platform to highlight how architects and designers might address underrepresented and marginalized voices.”
The top entries — three winners, 15 honourable mentions and 26 finalists — will be exhibited at citiesforall.com and in downtown Calgary at SAPL’s City Building Design Lab and City Hall until the end of April. Entries will also be published in an inaugural annual volume later this year.
CBDX: CITIES FOR ALL is made possible through the support of Stantec. The competition was organized, in part, by the Center for Civilization.