Cities join C40’s fifth Students Reinventing Cities competition, inviting youth to design green and thriving neighbourhoods

Students Reinventing Cities, C40's global design competition for young people to reimagine cities, launches its fifth edition today, inviting students and universities around the world to develop bold ideas to transform real-life urban areas into green and thriving neighbourhoods that improve people's quality of life and advance climate action.

In this new edition, cities across the globe are inviting students to reimagine urban areas to address real challenges: Amman, Barcelona, Bogotá, Bucharest, Chicago, Jakarta, Lagos, Lisbon and Nairobi. Each city is calling for innovative, practical, and inclusive proposals that respond to local needs and climate challenges.

Building on past success, the competition provides a platform for the next generation to collaborate with city governments and propose creative ideas to reimagine neighbourhoods. Since its inception, C40's Students Reinventing Cities initiative has engaged over 40,000 students and 400 universities worldwide.

In this edition, cities are challenging students with some of today's most urgent urban challenges - from improving air quality and creating healthier environments in Bogotá and Nairobi, to advancing water resilience and adaptation in Jakarta, Chicago, and Lagos, and fostering urban regeneration through inclusive and low-carbon design in Lisbon, Bucharest, and Barcelona.

The competition is open to multidisciplinary teams of university students and young people under 28 years old from around the world who are passionate about sustainability, urban design, and social inclusion. Winning teams will gain global visibility for their ideas and the unique opportunity to present their proposals to city leaders and experts in sustainable urban development.

Teams must register by 18 March 2026; registration is mandatory. Registered teams will have the opportunity to participate in a dedicated workshop with experts to prepare their project proposal. Submissions are due later in the year, in May 2026.

This C40 initiative was supported by Community Jameel and the Grundfos Foundation, along with in-kind contributions from Gensler.

About the Students Reinventing Cities

Students Reinventing Cities empowers young people to rethink the way cities are planned and designed, addressing real-world urban challenges, creating a bridge between youth and city leaders. Through their creativity and innovation, students are helping cities around the world become greener, more inclusive, and resilient places to live.