Detroit City of Design | Street Design Challenge

2025 Creative Cities Network

Street Design Challenge

The Street Design Challenge is a two-day competition for university students to share their vision on how public space design can improve quality of life in our communities.

Why Participate?

The Power of Design

We know what design can do. Design has the power to generate transcendental changes. In the Education Group of UNESCO Cities of Design, we are working to make this power visible. As creators of models, prototypes, and ideas, designers operate in the dynamic space between our current reality and the future we aspire to. Guided by the knowledge from the past and informed by the present, their work shapes the trajectory of our collective journey towards sustainability.

With the dedicated efforts of the organising cities—Curitiba, Wuhan, and Querétaro —the Cities of Design Subnetwork is committed to nurturing international cooperation and promoting interdisciplinary pathways. Our goal is to underscore the transformative potential of design and its ability to democratize urban spaces.

Overview

Kicking off on October 4th, 2025, the Street Design Challenge aims to address how rapidly advancing technologies like generative AI, mobile devices, vehicle electrification, robotics and biosensors can enable communities to create hyperlocal solutions that directly improve their well-being.

During the Challenge, interdisciplinary groups and their professors will collaborate to design concepts that empower citizens of a foreign city to create new expereinces, services and urban landscapes for their environment.

How it works

Each team will be paired with a street from another city and provided with an in-depth briefing from a local expert.

This briefing will outline the current situation, challenges and priorities that the proposal should address. Once the challenge commences, teams will have 48 hours to submit their projects in the specified format.

Read the Concept Note

Project Timeline

The Call for Streets is now open!

See the form below to get started.

Street Profile Form

May 28

Call Opens at the Annual Cities of Design Meeting in Saint Ètienne.

August 13

Q&A Street Profile Session (online)

September 5

Deadline for Street Profile Submission

September 19

Deadline for team submission

October 4-6

Challenge days!

Call for Teams!

We are seeking teams who wish to join the challenge by providing a street profile and engaging with local universities. There is no limit to the number of universities or teams that will participate.

Get Involved

Call for Cities!

We are seeking cities who wish to join the challenge by providing a street profile and engaging with local universities. There is no limit to the number of universities or teams that will participate.

Get Involved