Four teams have been selected as the finalists for the 19th annual ULI / Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition, an event that challenges graduate students to devise a comprehensive design and development plan for a real site in an urban area.

This year’s competition asked for proposals to create a thriving mixed-use, mixed-income area in the East Village neighborhood in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Students were asked to address housing affordability, equity, transportation, mobility, sustainability, and resilience in their proposals. The competition, which began January 11, simulates an actual design, planning, and development scenario, and reflects Kansas City’s vision to ensure its Greater Downtown is a vibrant, connected core for the city and region. The four teams now advance to the final round of the competition in April, where they will compete for a $50,000 prize.

Among the finalists are a local team from UC Berkeley composed by Alice An (Masters of  Landscape Architecture), Romi Bhatia (Masters of Real Estate Development + Design), Wayne Kim (Masters of Business Administration), Elliot Kwon (Masters of Architecture and City Planning) and Tara Singh (Masters of Landscape Architecture). Alice and Tara are also active participants in ULI SF’s 2021 YLG mentorship program. They were advised by ULI SF board member, membership engagement co-chair, and YLG mentor Riki Nishimura (Populous, professional advisor); and ULI members Marc Asnis (Perkins and Will, professional advisor) and  Dennis Williams (UC Berkeley, academic advisor).

Their development proposal, Homebase, consisted of a $1.4B mixed-use, mixed-income development anchored by Stadium 42. The relocation of the KC Royals baseball stadium to the urban core meant to catalyze a much-needed connection between Paseo West and the East Village. Through job creation, affordable living and a forward-thinking urban transportation system, they hope to revitalize this downtown neighborhood and become the heartbeat of Kansas City.

Read more about the Hines Competition and the other finalists here.