Students, engineers prepare for Chicago Future City competition

The National Engineers Week event takes place Jan. 26 at the University of Illinois-Chicago. View a video of another Future City competition.

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff January 10, 2008

Chicago engineering societies will host the Chicago Future City Competition Saturday, Jan. 26.thand 8thgrade students from 25 Chicago-area schools design a model of a future city with the aid of the computer game, SimCity 3000.
The students have the assistance of an engineer mentor. Participating students also write an essay on the subject “Keeping Our City Infrastructure Healthy: Using Nanotechnology to Monitor City Structures and Systems.”
The event takes place at the University of Illinois-Chicago at the URIC Student Center West at 828 S. Wolcott, Chicago. Chicago engineers and architects will judge the Future City models, presentations, and essays.
Many organizations will present awards. The Chicago Chapter of AIA will offer the Most Livable City award, the Structural Engineers of Illinois present the Most Innovative Structures award, the Chicago Committee on High-Rise Buildings will give the Best High-Rise Building award, and the American Society of Civil Engineers will offer several awards, including Best Transportation System, Best Future City, and Best Planned Zoning. The Society for Marketing Professional will award Best Future City Promotion.
The winning school who earns Best Future City will receive prizes and trophies for team members. All participants receive gifts from the Chicagoland Engineers Week Committee and local engineering and architecture firms. Team members from the winning school will advance to the final judging in Washington, D.C., during National Engineers Week, Feb. 17 to 23. Top teams from the Regional competitions will be honored at the Annual Chicagoland Engineers Benefit on Feb. 22.
To watch a video of a Future City competition, click here .