In the second year of AECOM’s Design + Planning online ideas competition, Urban SOS: Transformations calls for responses to sites in one of seven cities that are undergoing transformations. The open student ideas competition for 2010 seeks to engage students in the design, planning, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, engineering, environmental and related fields, with the urban conditions that are now facing the majority of the world’s population.

This year, we are exploring the topic of ‘Transformations,’ looking at seven cities in particular that are in the midst of a change or collection of changes that represent both challenges and opportunities to the shared futures of each city. Entrants must submit a site redevelopment plan that addresses specific issues in one of the following seven cities:

• Beijing, China
• Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Johannesburg, South Africa
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Phoenix, USA
• Port au Prince, Haïti
• São Paulo, Brazil

See www.aecom.com/urbansos for complete submission requirements and to learn more about the seven subject cities. Four finalists (individuals or teams) will travel to Barcelona in November to present their submissions to our jury at the World Architecture Festival, where a cash prize of $20,000US will be at stake.