Water, a Vital Resource, at the Heart of Climate Challenges

Devastating floods, prolonged droughts, pollution, soil sealing... Long considered an inexhaustible resource, water now compels us to fundamentally rethink the way we design and develop our cities, towns, and villages.

«Water shapes our landscapes just as much as it reveals their vulnerabilities. In the face of climate change and biodiversity collapse, it is essential to transform our planning choices, the way we build, and how we live with water. »
Louis Moutard, President of Urban Art in the Territories

In light of these challenges, the 2025 National Urban Art Prize calls for collective reflection:
How can we plan, design, and build resilient spaces—capable of absorbing excess water while enhancing its benefits—to ensure a sustainable future for our territories?

A Prize for Concrete Solutions
The 2025 National Urban Art Prize will recognize projects that sustainably integrate water into urban and landscape planning. Submissions may address:
 The development of sites designed to anticipate and mitigate flood risks;
 The revitalization of riverbanks and adaptation of buildings near watercourses;
 The reopening of buried rivers or piped streams to restore ecological continuity;
 The creation of natural areas for infiltration, retention, and water storage;
 The rehabilitation of wetlands to reintroduce and preserve biodiversity;
 The integration of decision-support tools based on hydrological modeling and resilient urban planning
 The design of neighborhoods or real estate developments using a systemic approach to water management;
 The enhancement of waterways as structural routes for soft mobility and recreational spaces;
 The experimentation with forms of urban and peri-urban agriculture that contribute to the safety of cities and villages.

Who Can Apply?
The Prize is open to a wide range of stakeholders:
 Local authorities (municipalities, intermunicipalities, metropolitan areas);
 Public or private developers, real estate promoters;
 Architects, urban planners, landscape architects, chartered surveyors;
 Hydrology and infrastructure engineers, consulting firms;
 Associations and initiators of innovative projects.

A Participatory Prize: Elected Officials, Citizens, and the Public at the Heart of the Vote!
The National Urban Art Prize engages stakeholders and the public in selecting the winners:
 A National Prize and special mentions for architectural quality, social life quality, and environmental respect, awarded among six laureates selected by an expert panel and the mayors of the finalist cities;
 Two Public Prizes will reward the public’s favorite projects through an online vote.

2025 Edition Timeline
 Call for Applications Launch: March 31, 2025
 Application Deadline: September 26, 2025
 Finalist Selection by Jury: October 7, 2025
 Online Public Voting: November 5–20, 2025
 Announcement of Winners and Award Ceremony: November 27, 2025 at the Ministries of Spatial Planning and Decentralization; Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea, and Fisheries

Applications:

https://www.arturbain.fr/arturbain/themes/2025/prix/

Applications must be submitted by email to: inscription@arturbain.fr

Press Contacts:
Françoise Oriol – +33 6 83 25 01 84
Aude Vaspart – +33 6 20 41 77 19
contact@arturbain.fr