An international jury integrated by academics, representatives of the IAEC Executive Committee and United Cities and Local Governments studied the 62 candidacies from 49 member cities, from 12 countries and 3 continents.

After a complex process of analysis, the members of the jury met on July 17th. The decision was not easy given the significance and the impact of the candidate projects. The jury selected the following 10 finalist initiatives:

• Barakaldo (Spain): “Giltzarri Participatory Platform”. Educational leisure and participation service with boys and girls from 12 to 18 years of age from the Youth Area of the City of Barakaldo.
• Gunsan (Republic of Korea): Gunsan City’s Old Downtown Regeneration Project!
• León-Guanajuato (México): Network of Women without violence
• Medellín (Colombia): Semilleros Infantiles para la Participación Project
• Rennes (France): Hôtel Pasteur
• Rio Cuarto (Argentina): Urban Recycling Program: the “Zootropo”, machine of social illusion
• Rosario (Argentina): Plan Open in Rouillon Av. and Segui Av. “Participation as a tool for the collective construction of habitat”
• Setúbal (Portugal): Program “Our neighborhood, our city”
• Viladecans (Spain): Educational Innovation Network
• Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain): Open School of Citizenship

Finally, the jury selected the following 3 winning projects of the second edition of the Award, for their clear social impact:

• Gunsan (Republic of Korea: “Gunsan City’s Old Downtown Regeneration Project”
• León, Guanajuato (Mexico): “Women networks without violence”
• Setúbal (Portugal): “Our Neighbourhood, our city”

The Jury judged favourably these projects because they highlight the importance of urban regeneration through participation and capacity building; women’s empowerment in the promotion of equality and social transformation and bettering the living conditions of vulnerable neighbourhoods through participation.

The Awarded practices will be presented in a Ceremony during 15th IAEC Congress which will take place in Cascais (Portugal) on 13-16th November. 

We would like to thank the 49 cities which presented a bid for the Award. We encourage the rest of the member cities to present new proposals at coming editions. We are convinced that projects such as those presented contribute to build more educating and inclusive cities.