THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST, BUT THE IDEAS COMPEITION IS CLOSED!
Starting next week, see the best of the best ideas online or in person
WELCOME TO THE IDEAS COMPETITION!
The City of Boulder invites architects, planners, designers, artists, landscape architects and any and all other creative thinkers—both professionals and students—to participate in the Civic Area Ideas Competition to propose creative concepts for the future transformation of Boulder’s most expansive public space into a true “civic heart” of the city.
Design Brief | Terms and Conditions
Sorry, registration is now closed (Deadline was Jan. 11)
PROPOSALS DUE JAN. 14 AT 5 P.M. (MST) | See the submission requirements | Top 5 reasons to submit today!
IMPORTANT INFO
Registration
All participants must register for the competition; an online registration form was made available on Monday, Dec. 17.
Registration Fees: Students $25 USD and professionals, $75 USD paid at the time of registration. Registration fees are per team or individual, and allows for submissions for both the Vision Project and Catalytic Project proposals. All fees will be used to administer the competition.
Awards and Recognition:
Up to $15,000 in cash and up to $4,000 in gift certificate prizes in total will be divided among the teams whose ideas are selected in Round 2.
The jury will make the selection based on how well the proposals address the relevant objectives of the Civic Area Guiding Principles, based on the following scoring criteria:
|
Vision Project
|
Catalytic Project
|
- Grand Prize: $5,000 cash prize for the proposal with the highest aggregate score out of 400 maximum points (100 points for each of 4 categories).
- Four Best Idea Awards: $1,000 + $500 downtown gift certificate for each of four Categories.
- Boulder City Council recognition of winning teams and projects, and publication in the Urban Land Institute Magazine.
|
- Grand Prize: $3,000 cash, $500 downtown gift certificate, and 2 nights for two at the Hotel Boulderado, for the proposal with the highest score.
- Runner-upPrize: $1,500 cash and 2 nights for two at the Hotel Boulderado, for the proposal with the second highest score.
|
Only one award is given per team for each category. If a proposal for the Vision Project receives highest scores in more than one category, that proposal wins for one category and the next highest score from another proposal in the other category wins. A proposal selected as Grand Prize winner only wins for that prize, and no other. In an event of a tie score in any category, the jury will make a selection of a winning idea, or decided to split the award, at its discretion.
Help us build on our Olmsted Jr. plan and leave YOUR mark on Boulder's civic heart.
Boulder Civic Area thanks our competion parners!
Design Brief
Competition Charge | Background/Resources | Vision Project | Catalytic Project | Eligibility | Submissions
Boulder’s Vision for the Civic Area
Boulder’s Civic Area will be a place for everyone—a lively and distinct destination that reflects our community’s values, where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds feel welcome to recreate, socialize, deliberate, learn and access city services. The green space and beauty along Boulder Creek will be the spine of a unifying design theme that weaves existing and potential new facilities with a rich diversity of civic, recreational, artistic and cultural amenities and programs, creating a true civic heart for the Boulder community.
The City of Boulder invites architects, planners, designers, artists, landscape architects and any and all other creative thinkers—both professionals and students—to participate in the Civic Area Ideas Competition to propose creative concepts for the future transformation of Boulder’s most expansive public space into a true “civic heart” of the city.
The subject area for the competition is bounded by Arapahoe Ave. and Canyon Blvd., and 9th and 14th streets.
The competition is meant to explore possible long and near-term scenarios addressing issues about public space, parkland, land use, community facilities, access, and flood mitigation. The Ideas Competition is envisioned as the next step in the community-driven planning process to develop a new vision for the future of Boulder’s Civic Area. As such, the Civic Area Project Assumptions and the Civic Area Guiding Principles developed through the community planning process will set the parameters for the competition and serve as the basis for concept proposals for city-owned land in the Civic Area. Other considerations that will inform proposals include flood conditions as well as the area’s historic resources.
Background/Resources
Interactive Background & Site Analysis web platform, powered by Crowdbrite
This web platform will assist you in understanding the project and competition site. The platform uses interactive sticky notes for posting questions and comments.
Use the links below to access the Vision Project and Catalytic Project background info canvases*.
See the Vision Project canvass
See the Catalytic Project canvass
*Review and close the instructions page, then click on the left to create your free account.
Check back regularly
The canvases will be used as an interactive discussion board, where the we will respond to questions and, if necessary, post additional information.
Project background documents:
For more complete downloadable background and resource info, visit the About The Planning Area Web page.
The Competition Charge
The Civic Area Ideas Competition has two parts; proposals for a long-term vision project, and ideas for a near-term catalyst project.
Vision project
Download the Vision Project slideshow template
→ See the Vision Project canvass on Crowdbrite
Taking into account flood constraints as well as historic and natural assets of the site, the Vision Project proposal should illustrate a land-use and urban design vision for the long-term transformation of the area into a unique and active civic place that embodies the values of Boulder residents, as articulated in the Civic Area Guiding Principles. The proposed Vision Project should be illustrated in site plan format and complemented by up to 10 slides (9 required, 1 optional), as described in the Submissions Requirements section of this competition brief.
Vision Project Program Requirements
To be considered, ideas proposed for the Vision Project must address guiding principles 1 and 2 plus at least three of the other Civic Area Guiding Principles listed below (See the Guiding Principles, for detailed description of each):
- The Civic Heart of Boulder
- Life and Property Safety
- Outdoor Culture and Nature
- Celebration of History and Existing Assets
- Enhanced Access and Connections
- A Place for New Community Activity and Arts
- A Viable and Sustainable Future
Catalytic Project
Download the Catalytic Project slideshow template
• See the Catalytic Project canvass on Crowdbrite
Proposals for a potential near-term Catalytic Project should consider a project that could be implemented within two to three years and with a total project cost (including design and implementation) of $300,000 or less. Submitters may propose ideas either in a single contiguous space or divided into various components throughout the subject area. Catalytic Project proposals should either help phase in the long-term vision, or should be temporary in nature but respond to a near-term issue and exemplify key principles of a long-term vision. Examples of Catalytic Projects may include, but are not limited to:
- Ideas for making the area (or a specific area) more family-friendly, safe and welcoming;
- Temporary enhancements for the Farmers’ Market, such as better space configuration, more efficient circulation of people and goods, or overall improvements in service delivery and experience;
- Effective and functional park amenities, such as new or improved seating, interactive sculpture/art, water features, gardens, or play areas;
- Improved access to and enhancements of the Boulder Creek and the Farmers’ Ditch; and
- Implementation of a cohesive design theme (through signage, lighting, landscaping, etc.) to establish a distinct and unique identity or feature that would help unite the Civic Area as a whole.
Near-term Catalyst Project Program Requirements
To be considered, ideas proposed for a Catalytic project must address items 2 and 3 plus at least one of the rest of the Civic Area Guiding Principles listed below. See the Guiding Principles, for detailed description of each):
- The Civic Heart of Boulder
- Life and Property Safety
- Outdoor Culture and Nature
- Celebration of History and Existing Assets
- Enhanced Access and Connections
- A Place for New Community Activity and Arts
- A Viable and Sustainable Future
As an ideas competition, everything is on the table for consideration, and creative thinking is highly encouraged so long as proposed ideas meet the objectives of the Civic Area Guiding Principles.
Eligibility
Entrants may be from any discipline (landscape architecture, architecture, planning, engineering, urban design, transportation, visual arts and others) and may be professionals or students. Interested and motivated members of the general public are also encouraged! Most importantly, multidisciplinary, multi-perspective teams are encouraged.
Submission Requirements
While encouraged to submit proposals for both the Vision Project and the Catalytic Project, submitters are free to propose ideas for either or both by following the submission requirement format described below.
Vision Project
- Illustrative Site Plan: Provide an illustrative site plan of proposed idea at a scale of 1”= 60’ (and any additional illustrative sketches as desired) on one 36”x 48” board in landscape orientation, with north arrow up. Include 3” blank borders on the left and right and a 4” border on the bottom for an effective area of 32”x42” for illustrations.
- Slides: 9 required slides and 1 optional slide, as described in the slide instructions template which is provided online for download. (In slide submittals, additional descriptive text of up to 200 words per slide may be included in the slide notes.)
Catalytic Project
- Illustrative Site Plan and/or Drawings: Provide an illustrative site plan and any other drawings at a scale appropriate to clearly describe the proposal on one 36”x 48” board in landscape orientation, with north arrow up. Include 3” blank borders on the left and right, a 2” border on top, and a 4” border on the bottom for an effective area of 30”x42” for illustrations.
- Slides: 8 slides and 2 optional slides, as described in the slide instructions template which is provided online for download. (In slide submittals, additional descriptive text of up to 200 words per slide may be included in the slide notes.)
For each of the two proposals, provide a PDF file for the 36”x48” board and PowerPoint for the required slides. The maximum file size for the PDF is 5MB, and for the PowerPoint slides is 5 MB, for each submittal.
All teams will be required to register in advance by Jan. 11, 2012. Electronic submissions must be emailed to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, by 5 p.m. (MST), Jan. 14, 2013.
This is an anonymous competition. No team names, company names or logos should be included on submittal boards or slides, excepted on the team slide (See Submittal Requirements). A descriptive project title should be provided for each submittal.
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 January 2013 10:39
Boulder Civic Area
