COMPETITION _ The URBAN REVITALIZATION OF MASS HOUSING international competition is an initiative of the Global Housing Strategy’s campaign on “Placing Housing at the Centre”.
The Global Housing Strategy, coordinated by the Housing and Slum Upgrading Branch of the United Nations Human
Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) invites creative and innovative university students and recent graduates around the world to participate in this international competition. The competition seeks to revisit mass/social/public housing through multidisciplinary approaches aiming at socially, economically, environmentally and culturally sustainable urban solutions.
Furthermore, the competition aims at exploring approaches for achieving affordability through innovative approaches for funding,
governance, management and maintenance.
To address the challenges facing mass housing, this competition initiates Academic Social Responsibility (ASR),encourages Public Social Responsibility (PSR) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and seeks an environmentally sustainable approach to affordable housing. By including this competition and similar initiatives in their curricula, universities will assume an advisory role vis-à-vis their communities, local and national authorities dealing with housing and urban development.
The competition aims to render monolithic mass housing areas to become more sustainable socially, economically and environmentally. This could be achieved, for example, by introducing mixed uses, improving densities and mobility to reduce the urban footprint. The approach also seeks to strengthen ties between academia, professionals, local and central authorities, the private sector and mass housing residents.
Until the 15th of January, 2014, teams of university students and recent graduates are invited to innovate and compete within six regional groupings.
Winners will be announced during the World Urban Forum in April 2014 in Medellin, Colombia.
Schools of architecture, urban planning and other relevant academic and research institutions are encouraged to include this competition in their course work.
Ministries of Housing, local authorities, housing corporations and associations of mass housing residents, as owners and managers of mass housing estates, are invited to support competitors so as to receive as many innovative ideas as possible towards retrofitting these housing environments.
Until the November 15th, 2013 participants can register filling the registration form available at the competition website.
This competition aims to encourage academic social responsibility and professional social responsibility. This provides the combined advantages of serving the community as well as gaining experience in development projects.
First prize will be announced soon, rather second and third prizes will be an internships with academic and housing and planning institutions.
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