“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
— Jane Jacobs
Welcome to the
International Urban Studies Olympiad
Divided into two stages: a regional essay competition and international media submission olympiad, the International Urban Studies Olympiad is the academic platform that challenges students to showcase their insight and creativity on the issues cities around the world are facing.
Participants will:
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Analyze
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Plan
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Reimagine
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Present
the environments we live in, from megacities and public infrastructure to housing justice and climate adaptation.
During the Olympiad students will examine:
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Urban planning,
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Environmental science
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Economics
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Public policy
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Sociology
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Architecture
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Design
to tackle city-scale problems. Through an analytical exam and a theoretical urban planning proposal, students propose actionable, equitable, and sustainable visions for urban spaces.
The International Urban Studies Olympiad is entirely online and challenges students from around the world to shape the narrative of global cities and leave a lasting mark on how the world moves and thrives.
Articles and media are to be submitted via a Typeform link we will send
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How Does It Work?
The Olympiad consists of two rounds: Regional and International. Finalists from the regional round advance to the international round. The regional round is an essay competition, and the international round is a media submission competition where the regional round finalists will be invited to compete.
Regional Round:
An essay competition where you will be given three different prompts to choose from and respond to the urban challenge with your innovative solution.
Response must be submitted within 7 days of the launch date and be in an article format (with a 1000 word limit, see Guidelines and Rules).
International Round:
A presentation competition where finalists will use media tools (i.e. powerpoint, voice and screen recording, montage, AI generated video, etc) to present their solution to an urban challenge.
For judging criteria see our Guidelines and Rules page. For examples see our Resources page.
Step 2
Respond to one of the three prompts for the Regional round essay competition.
Step 3
Finalists from the regional round will advance to the international media submission round.
Step 4
Submit your media proposal for the International Round before the deadline.
Step 5
International finalists are selected and receive recognition, prizes, and have their work published
General Timeline
See our Timeline page for more a more detailed schedule.
June
Registration
July
Olympiad Begins
August
Finalists Announced
Why You Should Participate
Expert Panel
Recognition & Prizes
University-Ready Skills
Submissions are judged by leading urbanists, policy analysts, geographers, and architects from prestigious institutions.
Top participants receive international distinction, personalized recommendation letters, and college consulting credit.
Demonstrate analytical rigor, spatial reasoning, and policy fluency for universities to see.
Register for the Olympiad
Dr. Nia Akintola
PhD, Urban Planning – Harvard University
MSc, Human Geography – London School of Economics
BA, Sociology – University of Cape Town
Dr. Nia Akintola is a globally respected voice on urban equity and participatory planning. Her work spans the UN-Habitat urban resilience framework, informal settlement regularization, and equitable climate infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. She’s consulted for the World Bank, WHO, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
Judges Panel
Testimonials
“The Olympiad helped me see the invisible systems that make cities work or fail, since being a part of it I have been considering all the different ways my own city can come together.”
Fatima Idris
“I didn’t think I could do urban planning in high school, but researching zoning, access, and public transport made me feel like I could redesign my own city.”
Mateo del Rio
“I’ve never felt more intellectually challenged and academically inspired. The Urban Studies Olympiad made me think like a planner.”
Shreya Kumar