The Challenge is held annually with a different theme or focus each year. The Challenge for 2018 marks the start of ‘Lucitopia’, a highly ambitious project, focused around new concepts of rural town building to encompass key values of ecology, economy, society and related industry, agriculture, services, culture and systems.

The participating teams of young designers from various countries are asked to design and create solutions for the re-generation, re-development and re-vitalization of Chinese rural areas. Emerging digital media, open cooperation and scientific design methodology have become effective tools for designers to think, design and cast the future in this process.

The challenge is a collaboration between the Creative Cooperative FR/NL and Xiamen MEXDIA Creativity & Technology Co. The format of the challenge is based on the European Street Design Challenge, initiated and organised by head of the I/M/D department Janine Huizenga together with creative industry consultant and writer Andrew Bullen between 2009 and 2016 in Paris.

More information about the Lucitopia Rural Design Challenge