Architecture plays a vital role in addressing the challenges of sustainable urban development, particularly when it comes to achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The International Union of Architects (UIA) has been instrumental in highlighting this role, and its biennial award, the UIA 2030 Award, has become a prominent platform for promoting architectural excellence in sustainable urban development.

“The UIA 2030 Award is a call to action, urging architects to rethink their role in the built environment and to prioritize sustainability and social responsibility.” – Peter Oborn, Chair of the UIA 17 SDGs Commission

The UIA 2030 Award is structured around the six categories outlined below, each aligned with specific Sustainable Development Goals. These categories recognize the diverse range of initiatives that architects can undertake to address pressing global challenges through design.

Sustainable Water Management and Healthy Environments

• Category Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All (SDG 6.3)
• Adequate, Safe, and Affordable Housing (SDG 11.1)
• Protect Labour Rights and Promote Safe Working Environments (SDG 8.8)

The UIA 2030 Award emphasizes the importance of addressing water and sanitation issues. Buildings and infrastructure are closely linked to water systems, and design plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable water management. This category recognizes projects that improve water quality by reducing pollution, minimizing hazardous discharges, and increasing recycling and safe reuse. It also acknowledges efforts in new construction, urban regeneration, and slum upgrading that provide secure and affordable housing. The UIA 2031 Award recognizes projects that promote safe, secure, and inclusive workplaces for all, aligning with SDG 8.8. Architectural design influences working conditions through layout, ventilation, lighting, and materials, shaping environments that support the health, safety, and well-being of occupants, particularly in contexts involving vulnerable or precarious labor. In addition to these two categories, the UIA 2030 Award also recognizes projects that improve access to secure and affordable housing (SDG 11.1), and efforts in new construction, urban regeneration, and slum upgrading (SDG 11.1). Furthermore, it highlights projects that contribute to more inclusive, integrated, and sustainable approaches to human settlement planning (SDG 11.3), and expand access to safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces (SDG 11.7).

Addressing Climate-Related Disasters

The UIA 2030 Award also recognizes projects that incorporate strategies to reduce exposure and vulnerability to climate-related risks, aligning with SDG 13.1. This category highlights the role of architecture in supporting resilience and long-term adaptability in the face of environmental change.

1. Promote Adaptation and Resilience in the Face of Climate Change
2. Adaptation and Resilience Measures in Coastal and Waterfront Development

The award’s selection process is structured in two stages. In the first stage, submissions are reviewed on a regional basis, reflecting the UIA’s five global regions. Jurors select between one and three Regional Finalists in each category to advance to the second stage. The region of evaluation will be determined by the location of the project.

The UIA 2030 Award serves as a catalyst for sustainable urban development, inspiring architects to rethink their role in the built environment and to prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. Through its six categories, the award recognizes the diverse range of initiatives that architects can undertake to address pressing global challenges through design. The UIA 2030 Award will launch on July 29, 2025, and will run through five cycles, coinciding with the schedule of the World Urban Forum (WUF). The award’s selection process will unfold in two stages, with the final announcement of winners expected during WUF13 in May 2026, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The UIA 2030 Award will be featured across both UIA and UN-Habitat platforms, including the 2026 UIA World Congress in Barcelona. The jury for this edition includes a diverse range of experts, with Peter Oborn, Natalie Mossin, Tina Saaby, Nadia Habash, Anna Rubbo, Rob Adams, and Nadia Tromp serving as the main jurors. Ishtiaque Zahir Titas will serve as the alternate juror, and Iman Gawad will join the process as an SDG expert observer on the Technical Committee. The UIA 2030 Award is a powerful tool for promoting sustainable urban development, and its success will depend on the engagement and participation of architects, governments, and other stakeholders in the built environment. By recognizing and celebrating innovative and sustainable architectural projects, the UIA 2030 Award will inspire architects to continue pushing the boundaries of sustainable design and to prioritize sustainability and social responsibility in their work.