The International Union of Architects (UIA), in partnership with UN-Habitat, have launched the third cycle of the UIA 2030 Award, a biennial international prize that promotes the role of architecture in advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a particular focus on SDG11 and the New Urban Agenda.

Established in 2021 and organised by the UIA UN 17 SDGs Commission, the Award recognises built projects that exemplify architectural excellence while contributing significantly to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Award runs in five cycles aligned with the World Urban Forum (WUF), the biennial global event convened by UN-Habitat.

The third cycle winners will be announced at WUF13 in Baku, Azerbaijan (18–22 May 2026), and promoted across UIA and UN-Habitat platforms, including the UIA World Congress in Barcelona 2026.

Submissions will be evaluated in two stages. In Stage 1 submissions will be assessed on a regional basis, reflecting each of the five UIA Regions. The Jury will select at least one and up to three Regional Finalists in each Award Category to go forward to Stage 2. The location of the project will determine the region in which it is to be assessed.

Award Categories

Projects must be completed and in use for 1–5 years prior to submission. Awards will be made in six SDG-related categories:

1. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all: This category will recognise projects which can demonstrate having contributed significantly to the improvement of water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, reducing the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse, consistent with the principles underpinning Target 6.3 of SGD 6.

2. Protect Labour Rights and Promote Safe Working Environments: This category will recognise a project which can demonstrate having significantly protected labour rights and promoted safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants and those in precarious employment, consistent with the principles underpinning Target 8.8. of SDG 8.

3. Adequate, safe and affordable housing: This category will recognise a project which has significantly contributed to the provision of accessible, adequate, safe and affordable housing, urban regeneration and/or slum upgrading consistent with the principles underpinning Target 11.1 of SDG11.

4. Participatory, land-use efficient and inclusive planning: This category will recognise a project which has contributed significantly to the provision of participatory, integrated, land-use efficient and inclusive human settlement planning, consistent with the principles underpinning Target 11.3 of SDG11

5. Access to green and public space: This category will recognise a project which has significantly contributed to the provision of access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public space for all, consistent with the principles underpinning Target 11.7 of SDG11.

6. Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related disasters: This category will recognise a project which, either through its siting, design or construction, can demonstrate having significantly strengthened resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related disasters, consistent with the principles underpinning Target 13.1 of SDG 13.

Each project may be submitted in up to two categories; however entrants must clearly justify the relevance of each category based on the specific critieria.

Evaluation Criteria

Entries will be assessed on how effectively they address the relevant Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and principles of the New Urban Agenda, with particular focus on:

- Building performance and impact: Demonstrated results and effectiveness of the project in use.

- Design quality: Architectural excellence in functionality, durability, accessibility, and contribution to its context.

- Integrated and holistic approach: Inclusive design process considering the entire life cycle of the building, from conception to post-occupancy.

Eligibility

Submissions are open to architects (or their clients, with permission), legally entitled to use the title “Architect” in their country. Submissions must refer to built projects and meet the required occupancy period. Members of the Organiser’s team, the jury and their associates, business partners, employees, students and close relatives are not allowed to submit entries.

Jury

- Peter Oborn (UK), Architect, Jury Chair, UIA 2030 Award Co-Chair, UIA Representative.

- Natalie Mossin (Denmark), Head of Institute at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts  and UIA Representative at the Habitat Professional Forum (HPF).

- Tina Saaby (Denmark), Director, Danish Town Planning Institute.

- Nadia Habash, (Palestine), Director, Habash Consulting Engineers.

- Anna Rubbo (USA), Adjunct Senior Scholar, Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute, New York.

- Rob Adams (Australia), Director of City Design, City of Melbourne.

- Nadia Tromp (South Africa), Founder, Ntsika Architects, Johannesburg.

Alternate juror

- Ishtiaque Zahir Titas (Bangladesh), UIA 2030 Award Co-Chair, SDG Expert.

Technical Committee

- Iman Gawad (Egypt), SDG Expert, Observer

Key Dates

Launch: 29 July 2025.

Deadline for questions: 26 August 2025.

Answers published: 2 September 2025.

Stage 1 submission deadline: 29 October 2025.

Regional finalists announced: 12 December 2025.

Stage 2 submission deadline: 6 March 2026.

Winners announced: 18-22 May 2026, at WUF13 in Baku.

Awards and Promotion

Each category will have one winner, awarded a medal, and regional finalists may receive commendations. All awarded projects will be promoted internationally, featured in UIA/UN-Habitat publications, and exhibited online. Winners will be invited to present their work at the UIA World Congress in Barcelona (2026).

Submission

Participation is open to all architects in the world and submissions must be written in English.

All submissions must be made via the UIA submission platform.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

To read the complete regulations of the Award, click here. 

The top image courtesy of UIA.

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