Young people have less than one month left to develop and submit their ideas for public space in Toronto for an opportunity to win the 2014 NXT City Prize. Organized by urban strategy studio Distl and the City of Toronto, the NXT City Prize competition asks young people under 30 to submit innovative, creative ways to improve a particular public space anywhere in Toronto. 

“The NXT City Prize is an ideal platform for youth to take ownership of their city and to apply their creative talents to solve everyday challenges with Toronto’s urban spaces,” said Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner for the City of Toronto. “This is a chance for young, creative minds to offer new ideas and see them realized.”

The open-ended competition allows the entrant to choose any public space anywhere across Toronto, and develop a vision for its redevelopment, improvement, or enhancement. Public spaces at any scale are encouraged, from park benches, sidewalks, streets, parks, or entire areas of the city.

The judging panel will select one winner based on a variety of criteria, including originality, innovation, feasibility, impact and clarity. Submissions can be done individually or in teams of up to four.

The winner will receive $5,000 cash, along with the opportunity to work alongside a group of experts and $10,000 in seed funding to help realize their vision. Two runner-up prizes of $2,500 each will also be awarded for the most original entry and for the top entry by an individual/team under 18 years of age. 

“The goal of this competition is to encourage young people to think critically about how we’re using public spaces and move away from conventional thinking about those spaces,” said Distl co-founder, Mackenzie Keast. “It’s their future and their opportunity to shape the city in which they live.”

The working group is comprised of representatives from various City of Toronto divisions, Distl, LOOP and Gen Y Inc.

The deadline for entries is July 31, 2014 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be announced at an outdoor awards gala on August 14, 2014.