Poster Competition: Towards a Smart(er) Washington, DC

Link for registration: https://www.aiadc.com/event/po...

The promise of better opportunities and a better quality of life, among many other factors, attracts people towards urban centers - cities. As a result the future cities are facing unimaginable growth and expansion, according to the UN 55% of the global population lives in cities and by 2050 this number is projected to climb to 68%1. The comparable numbers are even higher for the United States, with 83% of its current population living in cities and a projected 89% by 20502.With the continuous growth of the cities new and complex urban issues are also arising. Increasing poverty and environmental degradation within the cities.

Parallel to urban growth that’s occurring, society is also making significant advances in technology. The smart city is a concept of utilizing digital technologies to improve and enhance the lives of a city's inhabitants. However so far in most cities, the smart city projects have been limited to transportation, energy management and city infrastructure services. Noticeably absent from the smart city approach are many of the social & environmental challenges that many cities face. This competition seeks to explore ideas on how smart city strategies can be utilized to address key issues that cities are facing today.

 Washington DC is one of the United States pioneering cities when it comes to growing as a Smart City. The complexities that this city brings upon itself stem from its historical and political relevance, however, in order to keep up with the fast paced nature of today's global economic situations, technological interventions and demand for better city life, DC is growing rapidly.

With an influx of real estate development and the push for a smarter, more accessible city, the need to consider the importance of urban design during this growth process is significant.

References:

1 - “World Urbanization Prospects - Population Division - United Nations.” Population Division |,

https://population.un.org/wup/. Accessed 22 January 2023.

2 - “U.S. Cities Factsheet | Center for Sustainable Systems.” Center for Sustainable Systems,

https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/built-environment/us-citi…. Accessed 22

January 2023.

3 - “AHAR Reports | HUD USER.” HUD User,

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar.html. Accessed 22 January 2023.

Challenge:

Taking into consideration best practices for urban design, placemaking, resilient and inclusive cities, identify any one or multiple locations within the district that have relevance to the urban design solutions that address the intentions of smart cities.

While there are various tools and methodologies for architectural representation, digital collages have become a popular method of conveying an architectural narrative. The aim of this competition is to attract ideas represented in a manner that addresses the aforementioned issues as well as instigates stimulating conversation for the betterment of the city.

Eligibility:

Any person or teams of up to three members may register and submit a competition entry.

Multiple entries from the same person or team may be considered as long as each is registered and paid for separately and the content is not duplicated.

Duplicated content will disqualify all entries involved.

Any person that is a registered member of the AIA|DC Urban Design Committee is not eligible to participate.

If you have any questions about the eligibility requirements, please contact the AIA|DC UDC at [email protected]. AIA|DC UDC shall have the sole authority to verify that eligibility requirements have been met.