Teams of Students from Idaho have been working on designing multipurpose public spaces as part of the Future City Competition. The competition is celebrating its 25th year of existence in the 2016-17 year and has asked students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades to come up with ideas on how to create cities that meet the needs of various kinds of people living in the community.
Idaho students are preparing their Future City projects for the regional finals, scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at the Boise State Student Union Building. 37 regions from around the country are participating in this event including over 40,000 students from 1,350 middle schools.
First-place winners from each region are offered a chance present their projects at the Future City Competition finals in Washington, D.C., February 18-21, during Engineers Week.
The theme for this year’s Future City competition is The Power of Public Space. Public spaces can bring in visitors and new businesses, renewing a city’s economy in the process, as well as helping to reduce crime, improve the environment, and increase the amount of civic activity within the city.
Cities that allow about 50% of their space to be used by the public typically have a higher standard of living, according to a recent study done by the UN-Habitat’s Global Urban Observatories Unit.
Future City and other programs have an impact on students wanting careers in fields such as engineering. Pete Barnes, Future City Alumni of the Year for 2017 was one such student. He is currently working toward earning his PhD at the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering at Boise State University.
Future City is using social media and blog posts to showcase past and present students, educators, mentors, volunteers, and partners who have helped to keep the competition going.
To learn more, visit www.futurecity.org or our Facebook page.
Contact:
Future City Competition - National:
Mike Deleo
Sayles & Winnikoff Communications
212-725-5200x115
mike@sayleswinnikoff.com
Idaho Regional Coordinator
Lynn Olson
Boise State University
208-426-2686 (work)
208-921-3304 (cell)
Lynnolson1@boisestate.edu
www.futurecity.org/idaho