GBA launches Bengaluru public space design contest for civic makeover

Citizen participation in urban design

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has opened a public call for residents, architects, artists, and students to submit design solutions for the city's everyday public spaces.

The initiative, titled Bengaluru Design: Open Call, forms part of the upcoming Bengaluru Jatre event. It invites participants to submit ideas to overhaul basic urban features including bus stops, streetlights, public benches, road medians, waste bins, shopfronts, and local neighbourhood identities.

Entries close on 15 November, with shortlisted designs set to be displayed during Bengaluru Jatre from 4 to 13 December. A GBA-appointed jury will select the best proposals, which will then be passed to relevant city corporations for potential implementation across Bengaluru.

Focus on everyday infrastructure

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the campaign aims to connect local creativity with the city's developmental requirements.

"A city is experienced not just through its major infrastructure but through the everyday spaces people use," Gowda said. "We want citizens to bring forward ideas that make Bengaluru more accessible, welcoming and liveable."

The authority has set out specific urban design challenges to address practical needs:

Beyond individual street furniture, participants can submit integrated plans for full 500-metre road stretches. These comprehensive designs must address pedestrian movement, road crossings, greenery, lighting, public transport integration, accessibility, and overall safety.

Another category asks designers to establish distinct visual identities for the five city corporations operating under the GBA, helping create clear civic branding across the urban region.

Practical design criteria

The GBA specified that proposals must focus on real-world application rather than purely aesthetic concepts. All submissions need to be practical, affordable, inclusive, and scalable, keeping maintenance requirements and existing civic infrastructure in mind.

"Good design must go beyond how something looks," Gowda said. "It must work on the ground, be affordable to maintain, improve people's everyday experience and be practical for our civic agencies to take forward."

Feasibility assessments will determine which shortlisted projects move forward. City corporations will review winning entries based on technical, financial, operational, and site-specific conditions before beginning execution on the ground.