New architecture and design competitions: European Prize for Urban Public Space, Center for Architecture Design Scholarship, AIA Houston Design Awards, and Mureș Parks, Târgu Mureș Design Competition

For this week's curated picks of architecture and design competitions listed on Bustler, we are featuring four calls seeking the best interventions of public spaces in European cities, exceptional architecture students in New York State with financial need, the best Houston-based design, and projects for the development of a green-blue park system in Târgu Mureș, Romania.

For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

European Prize for Urban Public Space 2026
Registration/Submission Deadline: Thursday, February 26, 2026

"The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) announces the 13th edition of the European Prize for Urban Public Space. Since 2000, this biennial honorary competition recognizes the best interventions to create, transform and recover public spaces in European cities. For the first time, in this edition the time limit for works submitted is extended to 5 years (completed between the months of January 2021 and December 2025)."

Center for Architecture Design Scholarship
Registration/Submission Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2026

"Supported jointly by Center for Architecture and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), this scholarship is for students seeking their first professional degree in architecture or related design discipline from an accredited school within New York State. The dean or chair of the architectural school or accredited design program may invite up to two students from their respective college or university to apply based on their high level of academic performance and evidence of financial need. Financial need of the student shall be determined by the guidelines of the Financial Aid Officer of the school nominating the candidate."

Mureș Parks, Târgu Mureș, Romania „Hippodrome Park, Municipal Park, Turbinei Canal Green Blue-Green Ensemble” International Design Competition
Registration/Submission Deadline: Monday, April 20, 2026

"The purpose of this design competition is to select the best project for the development of the Hippodrome Park – Municipal Park – Turbine Canal green-blue ensemble in Târgu Mureș, for the award of the design services contract. [...] The stake of the competition is to reintegrate the natural blue-green area related to the Mureș River’s watercourses into the urban space by creating a new major park system that would restore the identity of the city by the Mureș River to the municipality of Târgu Mureș."

2026 AIA Houston Design Awards
Registration/Submission Deadline: Friday, May 22, 2026

"The AIA Houston Design Awards program recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, interior architecture, restoration/renovation, divine detail, urban design, on the boards, and conceptual. Criteria to be used by the jury include quality of design, resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique."

Would you like to contribute competitions, award programs, or calls for submissions that aren't listed on Bustler yet? Send them directly to our team to review. We may include them in our next roundup.