Tactical Urbanism NOW! – The Revolution of Public Space
Dezeen Competitions: TerraViva's Tactical Urbanism NOW! competition invites participants to reimagine urban spaces with small-scale design interventions.
Participants are encouraged to address social challenges and utilise overlooked locations for their proposals, which should spark community engagement.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: TerraViva
Competition: Tactical Urbanism NOW! – The Revolution of Public Space
Judges:
- Leonardo Zuccaro, professor at Politecnico di Milano
- Wei Dou, architect at SWA Group
- Vincent Rault, architect and founder of Muro Atelier
- Rowan Elselmy, architect at DEOND
- Alan Gancberg, architect at Crucial Urbanismo
- Teresa Pontini, urban consultant
- Pablo Castillo Luna, architect and co-founder of À la Sauvette
- Yiqing Wu, architect at Field Operations
Submission deadline: 31 October 2025
Winner announcement: 1 December 2025
Prizes: The first prize is €5,000, the second prize is €2,000 and the third prize is €1,000. There are also two 'golden mentions' at €500 each. Ten honourable mentions will receive a free coupon to apply for another competition and 30 finalists will be published on TerraViva channels
Competition overview
Through this design competition, TerraViva invites architects, designers, artists and creatives from all around the world to design small-scale interventions to transform overlooked urban spaces into vibrant, inclusive public areas.
Participants are invited to reimagine the potential of urban spaces through innovative, small-scale interventions that address today's pressing challenges.
Tactical Urbanism NOW! calls for designers to engage with unconventional and often overlooked locations, including neglected alleyways, underutilised streetscapes and forgotten corners of the city.
These interventions should highlight the transformative power of temporary, participatory and low-cost strategies to create meaningful change.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The competition is open to all.
It seeks projects that not only solve functional issues but also spark community engagement, resilience and sustainability.
Whether transforming an empty lot into a dynamic neighbourhood gathering spot or reinventing an underpass as a thriving public space, the goal is to demonstrate how small, thoughtful changes can leave a lasting impact on the urban fabric.
The jury will evaluate all the proposals according to the following principles:
- Originality of the concept
- Flexibility and multi-functionality
- Creative regeneration of the context
- Social impact of the proposal
- Use of 'tactical' techniques
- Graphic representation
Projects that express a special sensitivity towards tactical design and quality architectural solutions will be highly appreciated
How to enter
Participants are required to submit two horizontal A1 panels and a brief text describing their proposal.
Submission deadlines
The submission deadline is 31 October 2025 and winners will be announced on 1 December 2025.
About TerraViva
TerraViva is a platform dedicated to the organisation of international architecture and design competitions.
The organisation connects talented designers around the world with partners and stakeholders looking for high-quality projects to rehabilitate a building, redesign an urban plot, or transform an entire district.
In addition to the organisation's focus on architecture, it also works on graphic design contests, providing the ideal platform for international creatives to showcase their visual communication skills and contribute to innovative projects.
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