Utrecht University’s Urban Futures Studio have announced the 10 finalists for their Post-Fossil City Contest, judged by a jury which included MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas. Each of the successful submissions responded to the contest’s call for the design of a sustainable city no longer reliant on non-renewable energy sources. Designers and makers were invited to envision this new future, which “will reshape our cities and everyday lives so radically that it is hard to imagine what it might feel, taste, smell, and look like.”
Out of the 250 total entries, below are the 10 selected finalists along with a snippet of their proposed futures as described by the competition website.
Cow on Tour / Anastasia Eggers and Ottonie von Roeder
"Designers Anastasia Eggers and Ottonie von Roeder invented a concept which makes it possible to tap your own milk from a cow around the corner."
Sensorial Time Travel / Jamillah Sungkar
"Gasoline. Remember what that smelled like? Artist Jamillah Sungkar makes it imaginable what it is like to live in a city without fossil smells."
City of Sounds and Silence / Sun City
"Theatre collective Sun City created an engaging soundscape of the green city. Is electric mobility going to make the city silent so we can hear birds singing again?"
Symbolic City / Walter Breukers and Jaap Godrie
"How does one clean up a dirty city? By envisioning the urban layout as clear-cut pieces of a puzzle, according to Walter Breukers and Jaap Godrie."
"A true dystopia. The damage has already been done in this post-fossil city: Utrecht’s streets are filled up with water."
90 Letters from 2050 / Onur Can Tepe and Esther Estevez
"Onur Can Tepe and Esther Estevez create an interactive machine that spits out personal letters from 2050. Whoever reads them will dare to dream big for the future."
Post-Fossil African City / Blake Robinson and Karl Schulschenk
"South-African urban designer Blake Robinson focuses on the sustainable opportunities for fast developing cities in Africa. Together with graphic designer Karl Schulschenk he brings his ideas on the African future to life."
Solar Energy in Public Space / Tom van Heeswijk and Sabrina Lindemann
"According to Wageningen University researcher Tom van Heeswijk and designer Sabrina Lindemann, the city of 2050 will be marked by solar energy production in all public spaces."
Platform Cities & City Platforms / Michel Erler
"Ordering rides using Uber, or renting a room through Airbnb: in 2050 this will all be peanuts. Cities will be completely packed with smart services, says Michel Erler."
"This submission brings a green Amsterdam to life through a newspaper from the future—Het Devies 2039, made by a team of architects, designers, and urbanists."
The jury consisted of the following seven individuals:
- Winy Maas (MVRDV)
- Jurgen Bey (Studio Makkink & Bey)
- Anita van den Ende (Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment)
- Willem Schinkel (Erasmus University, Center for Public Imagination)
- Lot van Hooijdonk (City of Utrecht)
- Michiel van Iersel (Non-fiction)
- Maarten Hajer (Urban Futures Studio, Utrecht University)
Over the next few months, the finalists will have the opportunity to further develop their proposals with a €1,000 grant, in collaboration with Michiel van Iersel, René Boer, Peter Pelzer, and Wytske Versteeg. Come June, the refined designs will be showcased at Utrecht’s Post-Fossil City Exhibition, where a winner will be selected and awarded €10,000.
More details on the competition brief, finalists, and honorable mentions can be found here.
News via Urban Futures Studio. Project descriptions via the Post-Fossil City website.
