Design Competition Winners Focus on Human Scale

Posted by Shayna Pollock on June 17, 2011

The winners of Indianapolis' Monument Circle Idea Competition were revealed Wednesday. An article in the Indianapolis Business Journal reported that, "the competition, announced in March, came about after Indianapolis hosted a CEOs for Cities event last October that brought together local stakeholders and national experts to brainstorm ideas for making cities more livable." The group of urban leaders present at the US Initiative Livability Challenge wanted to better utilize Monument Circle, so they held a worldwide design competition. The judges chose a total of twelve dynamic finalists, whose ideas are displayed around Monument Circle. 

The contest also awarded cash prizes to the top three finalists. The first place idea by Jean-Baptiste Cuelle and Francois David, entitled "From Inertia to Inner Circle," suggested opening the circle to more pedestrian interaction. The second place idea by Ratio Architects’ Urban Design Studio, "RE:Centering Indianapolis 1001," proposed small changes to increase pedestrian activity and introduce sidewalk cafes. The third place idea by Studio Three Architects, "Nexus: Indianapolis," presented a plan for making the Northwest quadrant pedestrian only. 

Planners working on the future of Monument Circle hope to incorporate some of the ideas from the competition, which all aim to increase livability through enhanced pedestrian activity, expanded green space, and reduced traffic.