Beijing, China—The Paulson Institute, in cooperation with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), today launched the 2015 Prize for Cities of the Future. The Prize is awarded annually to a project in China that offers a creative, effective and scalable solution to advance environmentally sound development. The competition is designed to promote these efforts to a wider audience and to recognize the achievements of outstanding projects selected by a jury of experts from both the United States and China.
Deborah Lehr, Paulson Institute Senior Fellow, kicked off this year’s prize competition saying, “China’s historic urbanization plan, which will see 100 million people move to cites over the next five years, requires innovative solutions and planning. We seek to inspire bold and sustainable solutions to the challenges stemming from China’s urbanization. The prize is meant to inspire those on the frontlines of China’s urbanization drive to scale the prize-winning solutions and foster new thinking for how China can urbanize sustainably. We are honored to launch the third annual Prize for Cities of the Future in partnership with CCIEE at this important moment in China’s growth.”
CCIEE Vice Chairman Wei Jianguo said that China is at the key phase of urbanization and faces not only a host of unprecedented opportunities but also many challenges. “CCIEE stands ready to help promote the cooperation between the Paulson Institute and Chinese cities to explore the best approaches and accrue useful experience for the development of China’s new urbanization,” he said.
At today’s opening ceremony, Ms. Lehr, CCIEE’s Mr. Wei and China State Construction Engineering Company’s Mr. Mao Zhibing outlined the details of this year’s award process. Projects should be submitted for nomination by May 15, 2015, through the Paulson Institute website at bit.ly/2015CitiesPrize. Any questions regarding the prize can be directed to prize@paulsoninstitute.org.
As part of the evaluation process, the jury will visit finalist projects in August 2015 to meet with project leaders and evaluate their approach against the set of selection criteria. The winning project will be notified in September. Paulson Institute Chairman Henry Paulson and CCIEE Chairman Zeng Peiyan will present the award to the winner at a ceremony in Beijing in October 2015.
This year’s jury committee is composed of the following business leaders and academics:
- Mr. Richard Daley (Chairman), Former Mayor of Chicago
- Mr. Hal Harvey, CEO, Energy Innovation LLC
- Mr. Huang Nubo, Chairman, Beijing Zhongkun Investment Group
- Mr. Mao Zhibing, Chief Engineer, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. (CSCEC)
- Mr. Pan Jiahua, Director General, Institute for Urban & Environmental Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
- Mr. Zhuang Weimin, Dean of the Architecture School at Tsinghua University
- TBC
The 2014 Prize for Cities of the Future was awarded to the Shenzhen International Low-Carbon City project. Located in an underdeveloped neighborhood of Shenzhen, the Low-Carbon City project was recognized because its planners took into careful consideration the people living in the district as they planned its rejuvenation. Instead of tearing down existing buildings and moving residents out to build new towers, the project made key investments to upgrade buildings and old factories, while improving the environment. Those improvements are encouraging the organic development of high-end, low-carbon industrial projects and economic development that focuses on the needs of the local people.
The 2013 Prize for Cities of the Future was awarded to the Nanhu Country Village project, which was selected for demonstrating a creative, new approach to solving critical edge development and urban encroachment challenges and showing demonstrable progress that can be scaled in other areas of China. The project addresses key environmental challenges of urbanization affecting air, land and water, through innovative solutions to water conservation, energy efficiency and transportation technologies.
About the Paulson Institute: The Paulson Institute is a “think and do” tank that promotes environmental protection and sustainable development in the United States and China, while advancing bilateral economic relations and cross-border investment. Established in 2011 by Henry M. Paulson, Jr., the Institute is committed to the principle that today’s most pressing economic and environmental challenges can be solved only if the United States and China work in complementary ways. The non-partisan institute is headquartered at the University of Chicago and has offices in Washington and Beijing. Working with partners around the globe, the Institute focuses on research, programs, and advocacy that promote increased economic activity to spur job creation, smart urban growth and responsible environmental policies. Additionally, our Think Tank publishes scholarship from global thinkers on economic and environmental issues of relevance to China and the world.
About CCIEE: The China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), founded in 2009, is a comprehensive association with the mission of promoting international economic research and exchanges. CCIEE attracts experienced economic researchers and collaborates with economic researchers across various fields. It operates under the guidance and supervision of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in terms of its business scope and is registered in the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
For more information about CCIEE, please visit www.cciee.org.cn