Background and Objectives
The ISOCARP Award for Excellence, established in 2005, rewards plans in design phase as well as projects in progress or already implemented. The Award is open to a wide range of professionals and institutions operating in the domain of urban and regional planning: architecture and/or urban planning companies; cities (public administrations and/or urban development agencies); university departments and/or research institutes; NGOs, and freelancers.
Eligible Entries
The submissions may include the following:
- Normative plans
- Strategic plans
- Urban plans
- Urban design projects
- Urban policies
- Research works
- Software/smart tools facilitating planners
Topics Addressed
The call for the Award covers, but is not limited to, the following topics:
- Town / Country Development
- Urban Regeneration / Brownfield Redevelopment
- Temporary / Transitional Uses
- Mobility and Accessibility
- Urban / Metropolitan Ecology / Agriculture
- Social Innovation / Inclusive Planning Processes
- Smart Communities
- Disaster Risk Reduction
- Low Carbon Urban Development
- Place-based Circularity
- Climate mitigation and Adaptation
Evaluation Criteria
- Sustainability (processes, projects)
- Resilience (resources, energy efficiency, etc.)
- Alignment between planning strategies and contextual socio-economic problems
- Learning planning processes
- Innovation
Jury
The jury is composed of five ISOCARP members (experienced practitioners).
Substance of the Award
The ISOCARP Award is bestowed in two categories: the Grand Award and the Merit Award. The winners will be announced during the official ceremony at the ISOCARP Annual World Planning Congress.
Grand Award: one year of free membership to ISOCARP, free entrance to the congress, official ISOCARP plaque, official ISOCARP certification of the award and dissemination of the project through the ISOCARP website, social media and newsletter.
Merit Award: free entrance to the congress, official ISOCARP plaque, official ISOCARP certification of the award, and dissemination of the project through the ISOCARP website, social media and newsletter.
New in 2025: The Grand Award will be divided into two streams: Planned Projects and Realized Projects.
Registration Fee:
ISOCARP Institutional Member: 625 Euros for each entry (a candidate can apply with multiple proposals).
Non-ISOCARP Institutional Member: 1250 Euros for each entry (a candidate can apply with multiple proposals).
Note: The application is not considered eligible if the registration fee has not been paid.
Submission Materials
To apply, candidates must submit the following materials:
- Entry form, including a short outline
- A description of the plan/project/policy (maximum 10,000 characters with spaces)
- Drawings, maps, posters, graphical representations, and charters necessary to illustrate the work (maximum 4 A3 pages)
- A video illustrating the work
Application procedure
- Submit your online application by clicking on the button below
- Pay the registration fee
Remark: The application is not considered eligible if the registration fee has not been paid.
Deadline for submission
August 31st, 2025