C40 Cities has announced the third edition of its Reinventing Cities global urban design competition. The Reinventing Cities initiative seeks multi-disciplinary teams to identify underutilized sites and transform them into low-carbon urban projects that will meet the needs of local communities and become sustainable city landmarks.
Twelve cities from around the world will participate in the initiative in 2022. Participating cities include: Bologna, Bristol, Houston, Izmir, Lyon, Milan, Montréal, Naples, Phoenix, Rome, San Francisco and São Paulo..
The winning projects are expected to feature ambitious climate objectives, delivering energy efficiency and low carbon construction, together with a strong emphasis on social inclusion. Examples of projects to date include:
- The Resource Innovation Campus (RIC) in Phoenix, AZ is approximately 40 acres of land near Phoenix’s southern transfer station, material recovery facility, compost facility, and closed landfill site. The RIC is envisioned as a hub for attracting manufacturing processes, conversion technologies to transform waste into resources, and serve as a test bed for the creation of public-private partnerships and growth of circular companies;
- The Velasco incinerator site in Houston, TX is located close to a waterfront revitalization plan. The city states it has the potential to be aligned and well-integrated with the plan as an integral part in creating a safe, sustainable, and resilient waterfront;
- The Whitehouse Street Regeneration Area in Bristol, England is currently an industrial and office area. The city hopes to transform it into a mixed-use community of new homes, employment, and community spaces; and
- Villa Ebe is a neo-Gothic building built in 1920 in Naples, Italy on which the city wants to conduct a low-carbon refurbishment to transform it into an accessible site for cultural events, higher education, and research.
The winning projects will be announced in 2023. The contest is backed by C40 Cities, Ingka Group, IKEA, FedEx, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
“Reinventing Cities provides a unique interdisciplinary opportunity that brings architects, developers, and community members together to create projects in service of local neighborhoods. SNF is proud to support this important programme and C40’s global efforts to make the world a better place for all,” said Casey Russo, programme officer at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.