I’ve been following Urban Re:Vision and its innovative design competitions for a while now. Urban Re:Vision is an organization whose goal is to redefine sustainable urbanism one step at a time (Check out my interview with founder Stacey Frost here). First, they set out to rethink the basics: energy, community, transport. Now they’re out to put the ideas they’ve collected into action.

Re:Vision Dallas, their latest competition, which challenges visionaries to design a radically sustainable city block, is open for entries. The site is a drab parking lot in Dallas, Texas, just a few steps from City Hall. The reward: $25,000 for the top three entries. But hurry up, the competition closes May 8.

What is Re:Vision looking for? What is a sustainable city block anyway? From Re:Vision Dallas’ website:

Re:Vision Dallas is a chance to propel design beyond the typical, beyond the norm and to lay the foundation for a future of sustainable development we all hope is inevitable. It’s a chance to create a block that does no harm, to people or place. A chance to encourage and value relationships, while fostering respect for nature and our neighbors, privacy and resources, economy and consumption. It’s a chance to change how we live and connect, how we interact and collaborate—how we live in a space throughout our life and the lifecycle of the space.

Re:Vision Dallas is real. The land is purchased. The Mayor of Dallas has granted his support. Thousands of hours have been devoted to setting up this competition. We’ve consulted experts like RMI. Led conceptual charettes with industry experts. Brainstormed with local officials on essential issues to consider. This block will happen.

Will you be a part of it?

Next Stop: San Francisco

Not content with simply reinventing the city block, Urban Re:Vision, along with the City of San Francisco, University of California, Architecture for Humanity and other organizations, will be hosting a design charrette in San Francisco later this month. The event will address that city’s Civic Center Plaza, and explore ways to transform the area into a “vibrant and sustainable district.”

This time too the city’s political leadership is on board. “We are transforming our Civic Center into a global model for how we achieve a more sustainable future in an urban environment,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom about the initiative. Watch for more updates on this project in the future…

See also: Dallas to Build Green City Block.

This post was originally published at TreeHugger.com.