In Las Vegas, the concept of awarding significant cash prizes for innovative and effective economic development solutions makes sense. The city recently launched its Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Challenge to do just that: tap the global design, architecture, land planning, and economic development community for the best economic development ideas.
Federally funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, SC2 is an international prize competition awarded in 2012 to three U.S. cities: Las Vegas; Greensboro, N.C.; and Hartford, Conn.
In Las Vegas, the competition can award up to $900,000 in prizes for transformational economic development plans to help revitalize four targeted areas within the city: Cashman Center, the Las Vegas Medical District, business parks and existing Redevelopment projects.
"Participating in the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Challenge is exciting for our city,” said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman. “Las Vegas is known for its big, larger-than-life personality, so seeking big, out-of-the-box ideas is right in sync with our culture. We consider it a privilege to tap into the best and brightest minds globally and look forward to receiving some exciting, dynamic and innovative plans that will help specific areas of our city thrive and grow.”
The city is reaching far and wide to solicit the most qualified multidisciplinary teams in the fields of land planning, urban design, and other related fields to participate in this SC2 Challenge. The list of potential candidates includes leading professional firms as well as student teams from universities locally, regionally, and globally.
Winning plans must match Las Vegas’s needs, offer a feasible roadmap toward implementation, and represent innovative perspectives on economic development. The competition is divided into two phases.
During phase one, multidisciplinary teams submit economic vision proposals to the city for one of the four target areas. The top three proposals, as scored by members of an independent evaluation panel, will be submitted to the Las Vegas City Council to approve the receipt of cash prizes of $60,000 (1st place), $30,000 (2nd place), and $10,000 (3rd place), respectively. They and any other selected finalists will advance to phase two.
In phase two, finalists’ ideas will be expanded into comprehensive economic development plans for formal presentation and review by an esteemed panel of independent judges. Winners may receive cash prizes totaling up to $800,000 with a grand prize of $500,000.
Deadline to register for the Las Vegas SC2 Challenge is July 24. Phase one winners will be announced in November 2014, and phase two winners will be selected in May 2015.
Related Stories
| Dec 29, 2014
14 great solutions for the commercial construction market
Ideas are cheap. Solutions are what count. The latest installment in BD+C's Great Solutions series presents 14 ways AEC professionals, entrepreneurs, and other clever folk have overcome what seemed to be insoluble problems—from how to make bricks out of agricultural waste, to a new way to keep hospitals running clean during construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
HealthSpot station merges personalized healthcare with videoconferencing [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The HealthSpot station is an 8x5-foot, ADA-compliant mobile kiosk that lets patients access a network of board-certified physicians through interactive videoconferencing and medical devices. It was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
Robots, drones, and printed buildings: The promise of automated construction
Building Teams across the globe are employing advanced robotics to simplify what is inherently a complex, messy process—construction.
BIM and Information Technology | Dec 28, 2014
The Big Data revolution: How data-driven design is transforming project planning
There are literally hundreds of applications for deep analytics in planning and design projects, not to mention the many benefits for construction teams, building owners, and facility managers. We profile some early successful applications.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 28, 2014
6 trends steering today's college residence halls
University students want more in a residence hall than just a place to sleep. They want a space that reflects their style of living and learning.
| Dec 28, 2014
Using energy modeling to increase project value [AIA course]
This course, worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW, explores how to increase project value through energy modeling, as well as how to conduct quick payback and net present value studies to identify which energy strategies are most viable for the project.
| Dec 28, 2014
The lowdown on LODs: Bringing clarity to BIM
These days, BIM is par for the course across most facets of design. But a lot of the conversation surrounding BIM still lacks clarity due to ambiguous terminology, a lack of clear-cut guiding illustrations, and widely varying implementation, writes GS&P's John Scannell.
| Dec 28, 2014
The future of airport terminal design: destination status, five-star amenities, stress-free travel
Taking a cue from the hospitality industry, airport executives are seeking to make their facilities feel more like destinations, writes HOK's Richard Gammon.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 key design interventions for a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace
Numerous studies and mountains of evidence confirm what common sense has long suggested: healthy, happier workers are more productive, more likely to collaborate with colleagues, and more likely to innovate in ways that benefit the bottom line, writes Gensler's Kirsten Ritchie.
