Anyone who lives in Toronto knows that public space is more important than ever.
With the city’s growth, a return of young people to the city, and over-saturation of the condo market, all eyes are on the city’s prime (and not-so-prime) public spaces.
Well, now you may be able to do something about it – as in, you could leave your mark on the city in a major way.
The 2015 NXT City Prize, presented by Oxford Properties, is asking young people under the age of 35 to submit their big ideas to improve public spaces anywhere in the City of Toronto. The winning submission receives a $5,000 cash prize and the chance to have their idea implemented. Category winners each receive a $1,000 cash prize.
If you want to win, you need to get creative.
This year’s competition theme is “Opportunity.” We young professionals know a little about that, right?
The focus is on creating new economic, social, or environmental opportunities through public space. The competition also asks participants to consider how they can connect people in new and meaningful ways and, more importantly, how to make our public spaces as great as the rest of the city is. 
In addition to the grand prize award, category prizes are available for the best submission by an individual or team under the age of 18, best technology-focused public space idea, best idea for energy and sustainability in public space, and best idea in one the City’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas.
Not to make you nervous, but the judges are pretty powerful.
The judging panel includes fashion mogul Joseph Mimran, Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, and the Design Exchange’s Shauna Levy, who will select the winning idea based on creativity, originality, how well it ties into the theme, and how feasible it is to implement.
Submissions can be done individually or in teams of up to four.
The competition opened yesterday and entries are due by 11:59pm on July 31, 2015 – so get planning.
Winners will be announced at an awards gala on September 24, 2015.
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