Ever wanted to design your own city from scratch? Middle-schoolers from around the state recently had that opportunity at the 2017 Regional Future
City Competition. Nearly 50 teams of middle-schoolers gathered at Dunwoody
Institute in Minneapolis to show off the city dioramas they built and to present information about how their cities were planned.
The League had the opportunity again this year to judge the
“Building Quality Communities” special award. League judges looked for cities
that promoted ideas to improve and maintain a high quality of life for
residents. Many teams had outstanding ideas for this category, which made our
decision difficult.
Three of Basabillion's student planners use the force of good city planning and local government services. |
According to members of the winning team, Basabillion has a
native population of Ewoks (think teddy bears) as well as human citizens
that share the city. The design of Basabillion started with solid infrastructure
and services to create a better community. Residents can get from place to
place by a taxi carpool service run through an app. The streets light up at
night and are intended to be pedestrian friendly. For safety, the city uses
community policing and plain-clothed officers. There is universal healthcare
and a high minimum wage for all citizens. Citizens enjoy top-notch museums and
history centers for fun things to do.
One of the most unique features of the city of Basabillion is
its sense of community. The students designed public gathering spaces and
programs to promote engagement between residents. Humans and the Ewok
population live together in respect and harmony.
Black Hawk Middle School students did a fantastic job of designing
a thriving community in their city of Basabillion. Not to mention that it’s
always good to know we have a young generation of Star Wars enthusiasts.
All the students displayed great passion and talent for
designing their cities. We would like to congratulate all the teams at the
Future Cities competition. We hope to see you involved in local government one
day!
See recaps of past Future City Regional Finals and the Building Quality Communities Award winners:
See recaps of past Future City Regional Finals and the Building Quality Communities Award winners: