Arch Tracker

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.

As an idea-driven practice, EDAW AECOM has long nurtured the academic explorations that underpin the design and planning professions. The hallmark of this commitment has been our annual intern program. “It?s the best thing we do,” says CEO Joe Brown, FASLA. Since 1980, the program has had several iterations that give students from all over the world the opportunity to work on a real site, applying creative ideas, while building a social and ecological consciousness. The program has been awarded with the

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) highest honor. For 2009, EDAW once again innovates the program. We are sponsoring Urban SOS: Distressed Cities, Creative Responses, an open ideas competition. Why are we doing it? Our times call for it. We seek submissions that explore interventions required to stabilize challenged urban communities, anywhere worldwide. Responses should demonstrate a holistic approach to urban problems, should not be limited to design responses, and should focus on both formal and informal processes that can bring about change.

Open to currently enrolled students worldwide, the top four entrants/teams will be invited to present their proposals at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, in October, 2009, before an interdisciplinary jury. The winner will receive prize money equal to US$20,000.

Who

The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of higher education in all countries of the world. Entrants must be enrolled in a certified programme at the time of registration. All members of the team must be enrolled students at the registration deadline (15 May 2009). Employees of AECOM (including EDAW AECOM) are not eligible.

• Levels: Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D. students.
• Fields of Study: Urban Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Economics, Urban Geography, Sociology, Anthropology, Urban Studies, Environmental

Studies, Engineering, Traffic Planning or related fields.
Submissions may be from individuals or teams of up to 4 members, and should reflect the multi-disciplinary issues identified in the brief.

Where

Geographical selection is open. Entrants are required to identify an urban site or area of 5-100 hectares that is affected by specific urban challenges. In selecting an appropriate location, Entrants should consider social, physical, economic, demographic and environmental issues that affect the local community. Locations may include, but are not limited to:

• Unplanned settlements
• Displaced communities
• Declining communities facing further economic uncertainty
• Sites suffering from longstanding environmental degradation or challenges
• Derelict and degraded urban sites
• Areas recovering from environmental disaster
• Excluded communities, such as economically disadvantaged, travellers, immigrants, homeless

When

March 2009 Competition Opens for registration
15 May 2009 Registration Deadline
31 July 2009 Submission Deadline
1 September 2009 Announcement of Semi-Finalists
4-6 November 2009 Presentation & Critique of Semi-Finalists? Submissions at the World Architecture Festival
6 November 2009 Announcement of Winner

More info: Urbansos website brief
or at Urbanos Website

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