How to frame a city-based challenge

News – Blog

How to frame a city-based challenge

4 December 2020

In Monday’s blog post, we explained the green light criteria. This is a simple set of questions that we at Challenge Works ask to check whether a problem is one that could be addressed using a challenge prize.

But brainstorming a challenge prize of course doesn’t usually start with applying these criteria. Instead, think of these questions as a way of checking whether your ideas are any good – and filtering out less-promising ones from your shortlist.

When we at Challenge Works try to come up with a shortlist of possible challenge topics, which we then test with the green light criteria, we like to focus on the ultimate impact we’re aiming to achieve.

For an application to the Climate Smart Cities Challenge, a good place to start would be objectives set out in a city climate strategy, or in the sustainable development goals. These might be things that you need to address right now – but we find it can be quite liberating to think beyond the immediate problems your city has, and look to the longer term. What kind of city do you want to be 10 or even 20 years in the future?

What are the big picture goals you’re aiming for? For example, do you want to decarbonise your city’s public transport vehicles by 2030? Reduce methane emissions from city landfill sites by 70% in 10 years? Double active travel over the next 20 years?