Co-creating the cities we deserve Photo Competition

Deadline: 30-Jun-23

Transformative Urban Coalitions invite people from all around the world to photograph the neighborhoods, communities and cities to showcase how people are working together to learn, inspire and co-create a more sustainable and inclusive urban future for all!

If given a choice, who would not want to live in a sustainable city with clean air and green places, for example? This can become a reality if cities work on reducing their CO2 emissions to eventually reach zero carbon emissions. Such a transformation needs to be socially just, meaning that the livelihoods of citizens and communities should be secured throughout the process.

You can help to raise awareness of the many amazing activities taking place in their cities from which they can all learn. Please showcase activities that are contributing to zero carbon and more inclusive and sustainable cities! Are your neighbors organizing workshops or creating urban gardens? Is the youth in your community organizing events to clean the park, river or open space close to your neighborhood? Take photos of your neighbors and communities learning and working together to create a more sustainable and liable city for all.

Through your best work, you can help us to better understand people’s perception of how they can achieve a greener, more inclusive and sustainable city together.

This photo competition is an initiative of the Transformative Urban Coalitions project, formed by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), the World Resources Institute – Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (WRI), and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), in collaboration with the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (hereinafter the “Organisers”), with support of the International Climate Initiative from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Prizes

• In addition, the prizes for the 3 best photos are:
  • Best photo:
    • One private online mentoring session to meet Academy Award-winning filmmakers and learn more about innovative ways to document and represent their city.
      • Mathilde Bonnefoy: French film editor and director. Run, Lola, Run was the first of six films she edited for Tom Tykker; it was nominated for an ACE Award. She edited Soul of a Man and Invisibles for Wim Wenders. As editor and co-producer of Laura Poitras’ Citizenfour, she won both an ACE and an Oscar.
      • Dirk Wilutzky: film producer and director. Together with Mathilde Bonnefoy, in 2015 he won the shared Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for the documentary Citizenfour. Currently he is filming a series of short documentaries to inspire new narratives of attractive and sustainable urban futures, as part of the “Transformative Urban Coalitions” project under the International Climate Initiative.
    • A payment of 800 USD
  • Second best photo:
    • A payment of 500 USD
  • Third best photo:
    • A payment of 300 USD.

Eligibility Criteria

• The photo contest is open to everyone, regardless of her or his country of residence or skill level. To participate, minors must provide written permission from their legal guardian(s). No minor’s participation will be accepted by the organization without their legal guardians’ written permission.
• By sending the photo(s) and related information, via the Transformative Urban Coalitions website, participants agree to these terms and conditions. Participation in the photo contest implies full acceptance of these terms and conditions and all of their provisions. Non-compliance with these terms and conditions will result in disqualification of the entrant.
• Participation is strictly personal and the entrant cannot enter the contest on behalf of another person.
• Photographs must not contain elements that are defamatory, offensive, pornographic, racist, insulting, unlawful or contrary to good morals.
• Watermarks, signatures, photographers’ names, or copyright notices in the photo are not permitted.

Content of Photos

• Photos must represent your perception of people and communities working together to learn, inspire and co-create a more sustainable and inclusive urban future for all.
• Only minor modifications to the photographs will be accepted (e.g. dodging and burning, aperture, cropping, color balance) and must be clearly indicated in the image’s description. Images that appear to be overly processed may be disqualified at the judges’ discretion.

Selection Criteria

• Best Photo:
  • Photographs will be judged on their originality, creativity, photographic quality and relevance to the theme. The choice will be made according to the discretion of a jury. No appeals will be considered.
• Awards:
  • The Transformative Urban Coalitions partners will publish the results of the photo contest on 24 July 2023 through all partners’ Social Media channels.

For more information, visit Photo Competition.