Prize for Cities

Project site: prizeforcities.org

The WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities is the premier global award celebrating and spotlighting transformative urban change. The prize seeks to inspire urban change-makers across the globe by elevating trailblazing initiatives and telling impactful stories of sustainable urban transformation. 

The Prize for Cities awards $250,000 to one winner and $25,000 each to four runners-up every two years. 

Businesses, NGOs, community groups, local governments and collaborations of all types of organizations and indvidiauls from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors can apply. 

The current Prize for Cities cycle is open for submissions until January 2021 on the theme "thriving together in turbulent times." Apply now at prizeforcities.org.

The first Prize for Cities, run from 2018-2019, was won by SARSAI, a program of the non-profit Amend, for its highly impactful and replicable approach to creating safer journeys to school for children in Dar es Salaam and other African cities, and four finalists.

The second Prize for Cities, run from 2020-2021 with the theme "inclusive cities for a changing climate," was awarded to Sustainable Food Production for a Resilient Rosario, a urban agriculture program that has evolved into a cornerstone of climate adaptation and social inclusion, and four finalists.

What Is Transformative Change?

Transformative projects change the form and function of urban economies, environment and communities. They open our eyes to new possibilities by overcoming bottlenecks, leveraging investments, or offering new and scalable approaches to solving well-known problems. They impress hope and excitement. And their impact extends beyond the initial site or intervention, catalyzing positive change throughout a neighborhood or city.

Learn more and apply at prizeforcities.org.