Fostering the Future of Planning: Outcomes from the 2024 Student Planning & Design Competition
The 2024 American Planning Association's Student Planning & Design Competition recently concluded its seventh year as a premier competition for urban planning students to showcase their skills and vision.
The competition asks urban planning student teams from across the country to develop a plan and vision for a site in this year's National Planning Conference (NPC) host city selected by APA's volunteer leadership team and local stakeholders.
The Student Representatives Council (SRC), the Urban Design and Preservation Division, the Divisions Council, and APA staff co-sponsored the event.
Competition Focuses on Affordable, Inclusive, Sustainable Development
For 2024, the competition called for students to respond as consultants to a request for proposals (RFP) for a site plan and development program centered on the "former K-Mart" site located at the critical intersection of Nicollet Avenue, Lake Street, and the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The competition asked students to focus on affordable housing, community inclusion, public space, network connectivity, and transportation safety. This year's contest also asked students to connect their ideas to the community's goals and demonstrate market viability.
This year's Student Planning & Design Competition was an extraordinary success, doubling the number of submissions from the previous year:
- AC3 Strategies, Columbia University
- Appian Way, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- B.E.T.R. (Better Equitable Together Resilient), Portland State University
- BSU Cardinals, Ball State University
- Cincy BUP, University of Cincinnati
- CP + LA Bears, University of California Berkeley
- Fresh Coast Development Team, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
- Gehm Design Team, University of Illinois Chicago
- Humphrey School Planning & Design Team, University of Minnesota
- K-Queens & Kings, Iowa State University
- Make Some IlliNOISE, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Outsiders Placemaking for Empowerment, University of Michigan
- Regreen, New York University
- Sustaining Generations, University of Wisconsin
- Sun Devil Design Team, Arizona State University
- The Bulls, University of South Florida
- The Placemakers, University of Kansas
- Tiger Design Group, University of Memphis
- Twin City Studios, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Uiowa Hawkeyes, University of Iowa
- Walkable Corridor, University of Oklahoma
Finalists Presented at NPC24
After completing their RFP responses in early 2024, the team submissions were evaluated by the competition's initial jury, composed of practicing urban design and community revitalization experts. For the first time, the jurors were partnered with emerging planners, and together, they reviewed and scored each submittal.
After a rigorous evaluation and virtual selection process, the initial jury selected three finalist submissions based on consistency with the City of Minneapolis's earlier planning efforts, clarity of vision, program viability, and network connectivity ideas.
The finalist teams were: Gehm Design Team, University of Illinois, Chicago; Humphrey School of Planning & Design Team, University of Minnesota; and Twin City Studios, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
After a brief presentation on the City of Minneapolis's approach to the site from Adrienne Bockheim, a local Minneapolis planner who worked on previous plans for the competition site, each student team had 10 minutes to present their proposal, followed by a short Q&A from the final jury.
The placement of the finalist teams was announced at the NPC24 reception, where each team met the competition organizers and APA leadership, including APA President Angela D. Brooks, FAICP, and current chairs of the Divisions Council and SRC.
Runners-Up
CP + LA Bears, University of California Berkeley
Outsiders Placemaking for Empowerment, University of Michigan
Third Place
Gehm Design Team, University of Illinois Chicago, favored an expansive open space, creating a sense of place, and expanded upon the city's planning goals by offering a series of recommendations in a realistic implementation plan. Read the team's proposal.
Site plan concept from Gehm Design Team - University of Illinois at Chicago.
Second Place
Humphrey School Planning & Design Team, University of Minnesota, whose concept closely followed the city's focus on multi-modal connectivity and provided a good implementation plan and financing strategies. Their oral presentation demonstrated excellent teamwork. Read the team's proposal.
Site plan proposal from the Humphrey School Planning & Design Team —University of Minnesota.
First Place
Twin City Studios, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The team created a strong, professionally documented development proposal. Overall, their response is realistic, relatable, and provides the right level of detail. The proposal is especially strong in the site plan's connection to market viability. Read the team's proposal.
First place team, Twin City Studios — Massachusetts Institute of Technology (pictured from left to right): Zak Davidson, Mikal Berra, Cal Wagner, Sophia Belen Chiappero, and Hannah Leung.
Site plan proposal from the Twin City Studios - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Competition Jurors
Mileyka Burgos-Flores, a Dominican-American activist and founding executive director of The Allapattah Collaborative, CDC, a local nonprofit organization aimed at revitalizing the commercial corridor of Little Santo Domingo while preserving and expanding the area's cultural authenticity.
Kris Krider, AICP Arlington County, Virginia, county architect, and urban design supervisor; Urban Design and Preservation Division chair-elect.
Sean M. Maguire, AICP, CEcD, experienced economic development and planning professional with over 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation.
Meg McMahan, AICP, director of planning for the City of Minneapolis where she works to leverage development and rethink regulatory systems to drive equitable outcomes.
Alysia D. Osborne, AICP, division manager/assistant director within the City of Charlotte, North Carolina's Planning, Design, and Development Department.
Final Jurors from left to right: Sean M. Maguire, Meg McMahan, Kris Krider, Alysia D. Osborne, and Mileyka Burgos-Flores
Competition Organizing Team
For its seventh year, the competition was realized through volunteer leaders from APA's Divisions Council executive committee, the Urban Design and Preservation Division, and Student Representatives Council. This group worked with APA staff and representatives from the NPC destination host team to create and manage the process.
The commitment and involvement of APA leadership, staff, and volunteers played a pivotal role in emphasizing the value placed on student contributions.
Urban Planning And Design Preservation Division
Marcel Acosta, chair
Kris Krider, chair-elect
Chris Rzomp, chair of the Urban Design Committee and Cities
Divisions Council
Meg Byerly Williams, ex-officio member of the Divisions Council executive committee
Student Representatives Council
Kohl Malo, immediate past chair (2024)
Veronica Escalera-Ibarra, past chair (2023)
Bianca Mers, chair (2024)
American Planning Association Staff
Henry Payne, student program associate
Felicia Braunstein, director of professional practice
The list of APA support extends well beyond this condensed list.
This year, finalist teams received an increased prize amount from APA, complimentary registration to the National Planning Conference in Minneapolis (NPC24), presented in-person at the conference at an event hosted by the SRC, and the Divisions Council offered a travel award for each team to lower the cost of travel to Minneapolis. Some finalist team members also received support from their local APA chapters and universities.
The continued success and improvement of the competition is a collective effort made possible thanks to the dedicated competition organizing team, numerous professionals who donated their time and experience, and the exceptional student teams whose impressive submissions underscore the need to showcase the talent of emerging planners and inspire hope for the future of planning.
Next year, NPC25 will take place in Denver and competition organizers are already working with Denver planning staff to select a site. The prompt will be released in late summer, so students and faculty have an opportunity to incorporate it into their curriculum. Please see the Student Planning & Design Competition for further details and a future timeline.
About the SRC
The Student Representatives Council (SRC) represents students, emerging planners, and Planning Student Organizations (PSOs) as one of APA's three component groups. Students are elected to serve on the SRC according to region, and emerging planners may be appointed to serve in unique roles. The SRC aims to create a lasting connection between those new to the profession and APA. The SRC helps shape APA's policies that affect student and emerging planner issues through service on the APA Board of Directors, AICP Commission, NPC Committee, and the Student Planning & Design Competition organizing team. The SRC also works to engage planning students through special programming.
The SRC is actively building new partnerships with divisions, chapters, and outside the association and strengthening the network of universities, students, and emerging planner groups through traditional means and our LinkedIn Group. Students can always learn more by reaching out to their SRC regional representative.
The Student Representatives Executive Council
Top image: Members of the three finalist teams for the 2024 Student Planning & Design Competition. Photo by WiseOwl Media