Global Climate Geodesign Competition: Shape a More Climate-Resilient Future
The Global Climate Geodesign Competition (GCGC) invites designers, researchers, and students from around the world to imagine a more climate-stable future using the power of spatial planning and geodesign.
The competition is hosted by the International Geodesign Collaboration (IGC) through the University of Minnesota and the Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development alongside the support from Esri. The competition celebrates visionary design work that positively impacts climate resilience, functionality, and community well-being.
About the Competition
The GCGC showcases innovative spatial designs at the urban, regional, national, or global level that maximize climate benefits. Project submissions should address climate stability and demonstrate excellence across multiple dimensions of sustainable design.
Submissions may feature existing work, designs already in development, or new ideas tailored for the competition.
The overall goal is to identify the most climate-stabilizing, resilient, and aesthetically strong design proposals that can inspire real-world climate action.
Projects may be entered across several categories, including:
- Cities and regions
- Countries and bioregions
- Unions or groups of countries
- Coastal and marine areas, maritime regions, Exclusive Economic Zones, or the High Seas
Key Dates
- November 24, 2025: Registration opens
- December 31, 2025: Registration closes
- April 14–16, 2026: First presentation and workshop at the Geodesign Summit in Redlands, CA (in-person and online)
- June 15, 2026: Final submission deadline
- July 13–17, 2026: Final presentations and awards ceremony at the Esri User Conference in San Diego, CA
Criteria for Judging
All submissions will be evaluated based on three core qualities essential to climate-forward design:
Functionality. Projects should clearly demonstrate strong performance against defined design and planning criteria.
Resilience. Designs should show how they help communities, regions, or ecosystems withstand the pressures of climate change and other environmental challenges.
Amenity. Submissions should enhance the unique qualities of a place—elevating comfort, beauty, livability, and connection to the surrounding landscape.
Climate Stability. Projects should quantify their climate impacts. For those who use the GCGC Spatial Climate Action approach and app, we can calculate the positive climate benefit of your Spatial Climate Actions in absolute, comparative and baseline-referenced ways.
Eligibility
The competition is open to university-based and other non-commercial entities, including individuals, teams, classes, or studios. Participants are encouraged to incorporate multidisciplinary expertise to strengthen their proposal.
As part of the registration process, participants must qualify for membership in the International Geodesign Collaboration, which grants access to program resources and tools related to the GCGC.
Get Started
- Register with the IGC.
If you are not already enrolled, begin by becoming a member of the International Geodesign Collaboration. This step is required to enter the GCGC and provides participants with ongoing access to resources essential for preparing submissions. - Pre-register for the competition.
Register for the GCGC by filling this form out. - Submit your project.
Submit your proposal through the designated platform or GCGC App, including baseline data, transparent calculation formulas, and three digital image-and-text A1-printable files covering your concept, geospatial designs, and outcome calculations.
More Support and Information
For questions related to registration, content, or technical assessment, participants may contact:
- Tom Fisher: tfisher@umn.edu
- Peter Droege: pdroege@eurisd.org
- Shaam Adams: shaam@umn.edu
- Additional information: GC@eurisd.org