Tactical Urbanism NOW! 2026 , Mailand / Italien

 

TerraViva launches TACTICAL URBANISM NOW!, a new edition of the international competition that challenges participants to design tactical interventions that prototype new ways of adapting public spaces to everyday urban challenges!

 

Prizes up to 10.000 $ will be awarded to the winners, selected by an international jury including Maryam Mahvash (Emily Carr University of Art and Design), Mark Balzar (Open Fields), Cecilia Galimberti (FAPyD - UNR) and Camilo Palma (Abarca Palma arquitectos), among others.

 

Participants are invited to explore how temporary, lightweight interventions can act as powerful tools for testing ideas, responding to local conditions and rethinking the future of public space. Like urban acupuncture, these precise and targeted actions release energy within the urban fabric, triggering broader transformations that extend beyond their physical footprint.

 

Tactical Urbanism NOW! 2026 encourages designers to work with overlooked, underused or contested urban spaces - from traffic-dominated streets and residual plots to overheated plazas, forgotten pathways and fragmented public areas.

 

• 1st Prize: 5.000 $

• 2nd Prize: 2.000 $

• 3rd Prize: 1.000 $

• 5 Golden Mentions: coupon for a free membership

• 10 Honorable Mentions: coupon for a free competition

• 30 Finalists: published on Terraviva channels

 

Participants may select any location worldwide as the setting for their tactical project, with the aim of pushing boundaries and investigating unconventional urban opportunities grounded in everyday life.

 

By embracing adaptable systems, low-cost materials and participatory approaches, projects should demonstrate how tactical design can generate immediate impact while informing long-term transformation.

 

Rather than fixed solutions, this competition looks for proposals conceived as prototypes: flexible, testable and rooted in real urban life. Whether addressing climate stress, reclaiming space for people or strengthening community ties, the goal is to show how small-scale interventions can unlock new possibilities and reshape the urban experience over time.

 

Two A1 panels (59,4 x 84,1 cm - horizontal) and a brief text describing the proposal (250-500 words).

 

• Maryam Mahvash [Vancouver, Canada] | Emily Carr University of Art and Design

• Mark Balzar [Vienna, Austria] | Open Fields

• Cecilia Galimberti [Rosario, Argentina] | FAPyD - UNR

• Camilo Palma [Los Lagos, Chile] | Abarca Palma arquitectos

• Andrea Molina Cuadro [Los Angeles, USA] | Estudio Latente

• Samuel Padilla Llano [Bogotá, Colombia] | CUC Universidad de la Costa

• Lisbet Ahon Vasquez [Rome, Italy] | Sapienza Universitá di Roma

• Diogo Lopez Texeira [Porto, Portugal] | Hori-zonte

 

• Competition Opening: January 7th

• 59 € “Early” Registrations: Jan 7th - Jun 5th

• 89 € “Standard” Registrations: Jun 5th - Sept 25th

• 129 € “Late” Registrations: Sept 25th - Oct 30th

• Submission Deadline: October 30th

• Winners Announcement: November 30th

 

 

The competition is open to students, architects, designers, artists, engineers, urban planners, makers and creatives of all kinds. Participants can compete individually or in teams.

 

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