The CCCB opens the call for entries for the 2022 European Prize for Urban Public Space

Read the original version in Spanish here.

Published on July 07, 2026

The CCCB is launching the call for entries for the European Prize for Urban Public Space, a biennial competition organized to recognize and promote projects that create, restore, and improve public spaces in European cities. This honorary award—with registration open from April 20 to May 17, 2022—will recognize works completed between 2018 and 2021. Teresa Galí-Izard, an agricultural engineer, landscape architect, and professor at ETH Zurich, will chair the prize's international jury. The rules and all information regarding participation are available on the website.

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The European Prize for Urban Public Space highlights the fundamental value of public space in a contemporary context, where the climate emergency and the crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate that cities worldwide are facing new challenges. As the only award in Europe dedicated solely to public space—presented to both the authors of the project and its promoters—the Prize aims to reflect the centrality of these issues. It serves as an observatory of best practices to help envision potential solutions for a future in which cities will play a key role in shaping societal evolution.

History of a Prize with a European and Social Vision

The award is structured around the concept of the European city as a natural environment for development. Despite its diversity, the European city is characterized by shared historical elements, such as human scale, a compact design, and mixed-use development. In this model, public space plays a key role as a collective gathering point filled with political, economic, and social values that are inseparable from the physical design that accommodates and enables them. Over its 22-year history and 10 editions, the Prize has received 2,206 entries, awarding 19 prizes and 35 mentions.

Organized by the CCCB, the Prize is supported by a network of 10 architecture and urban planning institutions and more than 50 experts from across the continent. This unique European award has been redesigned to foster debate on the future of European cities in the post-pandemic era.

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)

Since its inception, the CCCB has promoted reflection on contemporary cities, viewing them as key arenas for the transformations and challenges of today's world. Today, the CCCB is a multidisciplinary cultural center dedicated to exploring major issues in contemporary society through various mediums and formats. Its extensive program includes major thematic exhibitions, lecture series, literary gatherings, audiovisual screenings, and festivals.

This article was written by Elías Barczuk Pasamán. The translation is powered by AI.

Read the original version in Spanish here.