The Committee for Sydney and the NSW government is inviting Sydneysiders to submit their ideas for how the city’s public spaces could be reimagined. And we’re not just talking about building a new playground or planting a few flower beds. The Public Space Ideas Competition is asking Sydney to dream big.
“We want to see your ideas, as ambitions, wild and bold as possible,” the competition’s call for submissions states. “Think without limitations, don’t hold back. This is a competition to stretch our thinking about public spaces and create ideas and new ways of thinking in an evolving city.”
A panel of 13 judges, including academics, landscape architects, city experts and notable cultural leaders will select winning submissions across five different categories: Best Public Facility Idea, Best Open Space Idea, Best Street Idea, Best Temporary and/or Low-cost Public Space Idea and Best Resilient Public Space Idea. There will also be four additional special awards: the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Award (awarded by Minister Rob Stokes), the Student Award (for tertiary students), the Children and Young People Award (for entrants under the age of 18) and the People’s Choice Award.
It’s hoped the influx of such a broad range of blue-sky and inclusive approaches to urban planning will engage and inspire both the industry and the community, stimulating a conversation about how our city’s public spaces can be socially richer, more culturally attuned, better equipped and more broadly accessible.
Entries must be submitted by August 28, and the winners will be announced in October. Entry is relatively simple, requiring a 250-word submission and one image. Full details on how to make a submission and other relevant information can be found on the Public Space Ideas Competition website.
