Sharing and Caring Cities: Portraits of Collective Urban Life

Call for Submissions: 2026 Penn IUR Global Photo Contest Sharing and Caring Cities: Portraits of Collective Urban Life Across the world, cities are shaped by what we share: our streets, our stories, our struggles, and our hopes. Sidewalk markets in Bogotá, commuter trains in Tokyo, neighborhood parks in Nairobi, waterfronts in Amsterdam, and streets in Minneapolis are all urban places that become shared spaces where culture, community, and creativity thrive. The Penn Institute for Urban Research invites photographers and visual storytellers around the world to enter our 10th annual photo contest: Sharing and Caring Cities: Portraits of Collective Urban Life. As urban challenges grow more complex—from inequality and climate change to displacement and polarization—spaces for caring and sharing are more needed than ever. They offer opportunities for collaboration between public, private, and civic actors and help foster belonging, resilience, and innovation at the neighborhood level. What We’re Looking For Submit your most powerful photo or short video (1 minute or less) that reflects what it means to share a city in your part of the world. We welcome broad, creative interpretations across themes such as: Children playing beside elders in public parks Artists and activists transforming passageways into stages for change Vendors, commuters, and neighbors moving in rhythm along the same sidewalk Nature reclaiming space in harmony with human infrastructure Private, public, and civic sectors work together to improve daily life Whether you're documenting a festival in Accra, a transit hub in Delhi, a protest in Paris, or a shared rooftop in Bangkok, we want to see what shared cities embedded with care mean to you. Prizes & Submission Details Grand Prize: $500 USD Deadline: April 15, 2026 A prize of $500 will be awarded to the top submission as determined by a panel of Penn-affiliated judges. Other exemplary submissions will be awarded Honorable Mentions. Submit high-resolution photos or videos via the submission form here. If you have any issues with the form, you may submit images and descriptions via email with the subject line: “Penn IUR Photo Contest Submission: Sharing and Caring Cities” Recognition Winning entries will be credited and featured in Penn IUR’s global newsletter, The Urban Link, and across our social media platforms, and annual report, reaching urban scholars, planners, and practitioners around the world. The contest is open to the public, anywhere in the world. All ages and experience levels welcome. Jury A panel of scholars and artists from the University of Pennsylvania will judge entries. Help us document how urban life is shared, shaped, and strengthened across the globe. Your perspective can help inspire new ideas, foster understanding, and show the world what’s working. We can’t wait to see what you share! Additional information: The contest is open to the public. Submissions will be judged by a panel of Penn IUR affiliates. Winning photographs will be credited and shared with Penn IUR Urban Link subscribers and on social media. Notes: Photographers should submit no more than 3 photographs/videos All photos must be your original work, not AI-generated. Collage, cropping, and the use of software such as Photoshop are permitted. By entering the contest, you acknowledge that the submitted photo is an original work created solely by you, that the photo does not violate, plagiarize or infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, database, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photo. You will retain all copyright ownership of the image, and it will be attributed to you when used. By entering the contest, all entrants grant Penn IUR and its affiliated publications an unrestricted, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to publish, reproduce, display, distribute, and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit). Penn IUR will not be required to seek any additional approval in connection with such use. Submissions that fail to meet ethical standards will not be considered. For additional information about general ethical guidelines for photographers, read the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics. Prizes and awards constitute taxable income. U.S. taxes will be deducted from payment for winning photographs, regardless of a photographer’s nationality.