NowNow Competition runs themed design contests that invite architecture and urban design students and early‑career professionals to propose inclusive, realistic interventions for underutilized public sites in African cities. Each competition provides a clear brief—such as converting parking lots into affordable housing, repurposing historic infrastructure, or reimagining high‑streets—and offers an online submission platform, structured judging, and public recognition of winning concepts, creating a repository of socially‑focused urban solutions for municipal stakeholders.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Urban development in many African cities faces a shortage of affordable, well-located housing and underutilized public land, leading to spatial inequality and missed opportunities for community‑benefiting design. Designers and planners often lack structured platforms to propose large‑scale, socially oriented interventions for these sites.
Solution
NowNow Competition provides a recurring, theme‑based design contest that invites students, architects, and urban designers to develop realistic, inclusive proposals for specific public sites in cities such as Cape Town, Lagos, and Khayelitsha. Each competition defines a clear brief—e.g., converting government parking lots into inclusionary housing, reimagining a historic power station as a creative landmark, or envisioning a future high‑street—and sets registration windows, submission deadlines, and judging timelines. Winning concepts are publicly announced and receive recognition, encouraging participants to explore socially responsible urban solutions while generating a repository of ideas for municipal stakeholders. The platform also offers online submission tools, prize listings, and archival of past entries to inspire future participants.
Target Audience
Primary participants are architecture and urban design students, recent graduates, and early‑career professionals seeking to address affordable housing, heritage reuse, and urban revitalization challenges in African cities.
Features
- Multiple annual competition tracks focused on housing, heritage reuse, and urban mobility, each tied to a specific underutilized site
- Open registration for students and emerging designers with defined entry periods and clear submission deadlines
- Structured judging process with public announcement of winners and placement of top three concepts
- Online portal for uploading design proposals, supporting documents, and visualizations
- Public archive of past competition briefs and winning entries to serve as a design reference library
- Partnerships with local NGOs and city agencies to align competition goals with community development objectives