Urban Design Competition: Tactical Urbanism Now!

Urban Design Competition: Tactical Urbanism Now!

BRIEF:
Today, the citizen’s relationship with the urban context is moving towards the spreading of new practices for the re-appropriation of public spaces all over the world. It is becoming clearer nowadays, that only the city that improves the quality of life of its inhabitants is truly smart, putting the human element at the centre of every urban project.Whether you live in a metropolis or a small town, you have likely seen it for yourself. Cities around the world are implementing flexible, creative and light interventions to catalyse profound changes within the urban context. Tactical Urbanism proposes an alternative method to achieve an urban regeneration that works mainly at the small scale of a street, a block or a building. Similar to the way acupuncture inserts needles into one part of the body to boost the well-being of the entire organism, a “tactical” project can lead to positive changes in a whole neighborhood.The challenge of this competition is to encourage participants to imagine a city where public space goes beyond the traditional conception of a park, a square or a street. The idea is to experiment with new urban scenarios, which are able to promote social exchange, community activities and citizens interaction through the implementation of multi functional designs. Use your imagination and propose a concept that takes urban space into another level, transforming it to become more playful, lively and welcoming!

GUIDELINES:
In this competition there is no specific site where you should develop your proposal: each competitor or group may choose its own urban context where to locate the project. Any city, any town, any neighborhood can be the perfect environment where to place your intervention. The choice however must be justified by the project itself and its connections with the urban context. It must have a clear relationship with the new use and program, and a strong link to the local community or potential users.In the search for innovative concepts and original projects,
“Tactical Urbanism Now!” encourages participants to propose their own programs and to experiment with a range of possibilities that can be adapted to the widest contexts: squares, sidewalks, parks, urban voids or any kind of urban space. There are no minimum or maximum dimensions for the intervention: what really counts is the impact that it can generate in the environment in which it is inserted, giving positive answers to contemporary urban issues.

JURY:
– Paloma H. Ermakova (Stefano Boeri Architetti)
– Héctor Esrawe (Esrawe Studio)
– Patrizia Di Monte (GravalosDiMonte Arquitectos)
– Elena Barthel (Rural Studio)
– Richard Ingersoll (PoliMi)
– Emanuele Barili (ECÒL)
– Elisa C. Cattaneo (b.l.u.e.)
– Massimo Triches (Babau Bureau)

REQUESTED MATERIAL:
Competitors have to submit two A2 panels (42 x 59,4 cm) landscape oriented + a brief text describing the proposal (up to 250 words).
Panels must contain all the necessary graphic information to explain the project in the best way possible (title, diagrams, sketches, 3D visualizations, plans and sections, collages, model photos, etc.).
All kinds of graphic representations will be accepted.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER:
TerraViva Competitions has been recently opened as a new branch of “TerraViva Workshop”: an international didactic platform active since 2015, under the guidance of professor Richard Ingersoll and in partnership with Politecnico di Milano university. This new section proposes a series of design competitions in line with the topics addressed throughout the past years in the architecture workshops. Mainly directed to students, young creatives and professionals, TerraViva Competitions works as a cultural hub focused on innovative ideas linked to design, architecture and urbanism. Firmly believing that creativity is the most powerful tool to trigger new design practices and to feed the debate on present and future issues, this series of competitions aims to promote original projects with a conscious vision about climate change, natural-based solutions and social engagement.