Children across the South West from school classrooms to youth-groups, are being invited to turn their visions of a future city into a reality through the ‘City of Tomorrow’ competition – run by teen tech and science events initiative, TeenTech.
“We need brilliant young minds to think about tomorrow’s cities and redesign our world for the better”
The competition, which is open to students aged from 8-14, invites children to design and build their very own architectural models of what they see as being part of the ‘City of Tomorrow’ – all of which has to fit on a sheet of A4 card!
Dallas Campbell, Patron of TeenTech City of Tomorrow, explains: “This new human planet requires a radical shift in the way we are going to live together: How can we redesign cities? How can we use energy more efficiently? How can we plan infrastructure better? How can we move faster? How can we live healthier, happier lives? With these new challenges come exciting opportunities. We need brilliant young minds to think about tomorrow’s cities and redesign our world for the better.”
Skills for the City of Tomorrow
Children entering are being encouraged to think about what our future cities might need – this includes encouraging the use of recycled building materials to create their models. The competition also encourages children to engage in how their visions will affect how people will live, work, and play in the future – perhaps even by incorporating ideas around the ‘Internet of Things’.
“We’re very much looking forward to working with young people across the area and helping them develop their ideas”
Students will have their work judged by TeenTech founder and renowned broadcaster Maggie Philbin, along with a team of industry experts, at a regional final at At-Bristol on 12 July. It’s then that all the designs from the South West will be put together to form a spectacular ‘City of Tomorrow’, before the best are selected to go on to a national final later in the year.
The winning regional teams will receive prizes for their school/youth group and will also have the opportunity to work on a NatWest project to redesign the bank-branch of the future.
Maggie Philbin, CEO, TeenTech adds: “We are delighted to be working with NatWest to bring the TeenTech City of Tomorrow initiative to the Bristol region. We know it’s a very creative way to engage young people and help them understand how their ideas could shape the future. We need bold imaginative thinkers with the right skills and we’re all very much looking forward to working with young people across the area and helping them develop their ideas.”
Get involved
To get involved, schools and youth groups can register to take part in TeenTech’s ‘City of Tomorrow’ competition. Parents can also sign-up to work on an individual project with their child.
There are 13 categories and teams or individuals can enter. Two or three entries from each will then be selected to go on to the regional finals on 12 July. The categories are:
- Best business space
- Best domestic building (low, medium, or high density)
- Best retail space
- Best education space
- Best recreational space
- Best health and well-being categories
- Best outside space
- Best mixed use
- Best construction
- Most environmentally friendly building
- Most fun building
- Most innovative building
- Most accessible building
For all the rules and information about the ‘City of tomorrow’ competition, check out the TeenTech website. You can also stay up to date with the competition by following TeenTech on Twitter: @teentechevent.
[Image credit: TeenTech]
