The contest saw global participation, with over 757 photographs from 53 countries showcasing the beauty and challenges of urban transformation. Participants ranged in age from 10 to 75, highlighting the intergenerational dialogue on the sustainability of our cities.
The winners are:
- Danilo Victoriano Jr. from the Philippines, who shared an impactful photo of creative volunteers repurposing plastic waste into durable eco-bricks, showcasing the power of community-driven sustainability.
- Mark Linel Padecio also from the Philippines, who portrays how big and small – companies and individuals – unite in the same goal: building a more sustainable city and future.
- Hans von Manteuffel from Brazil, who offers a glimpse into how a roof has been transformed into a vegetable garden, where the community’s youth grow organic food for 400 neighbouring families.
This year's theme “Portraits of Urban Change” focused on transforming cities through the power of community, capturing stories of revitalized urban parks, clean energy projects, sustainability education and the circular economy. These submissions brilliantly illustrate the ongoing efforts to harmonize urbanization with capacity-building, education and ambitious climate narratives. Each photograph came with its own compelling story and will inform UNU-EHS research on perceptions of urban transformation through art and photography.
The three winning photographs, along with a selection of other pictures, will be exhibited at the 6th Capacity-building Hub at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. We congratulate the winners and thank all participants of the Transformative Urban Coalitions Photo Competition 2024 that took the time to snap and share their amazing work on the road to transforming our cities into more sustainable and desirable homes for ourselves and future generations.
