This year’s competition asks participants to imagine what’s next for the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Located at the southern end of Broad Street, the area has changed dramatically over more than three centuries. Since the late 1960s, it has brought all four of Philadelphia’s major professional sports teams together in one place. More than a group of stadiums, the Sports Complex is a civic landmark that reflects the city’s history of recreation and public life.

Now, the Sports Complex is at a turning point. New investment and plans are creating an opportunity to rethink the area beyond game days. We invite students to consider how the district could become a more welcoming part of Philadelphia, serving the people who live, work, visit, and gather there. Rather than focusing on individual buildings, participants are encouraged to develop a larger vision for the district and propose ideas that respond to Philadelphia’s economic, social, and environmental needs while shaping a new future for this iconic part of the city.