Penn IUR Global Photo Contest 2026
10th annual Sharing and Caring Cities Photo Contest celebrating urban life. Submit photos/videos of community, collaboration, and care. Grand Prize: USD 500.
The Penn Institute for Urban Research invites global photographers and visual storytellers to participate in the 10th annual Sharing and Caring Cities Photo Contest, celebrating collective urban life and human-centered experiences in cities worldwide. This international competition seeks original photos or short videos (maximum 1 minute) that capture authentic moments of community, collaboration, and care across diverse urban contexts.
The contest encourages documentation of urban life where people, communities, and environments intersect, highlighting how shared spaces foster belonging, resilience, innovation, and collaboration. Focus areas include children interacting with elders in public parks, artists or activists transforming public spaces, commuters and neighbors in daily routines, nature integrated with urban infrastructure, and initiatives where private, public, and civic actors improve urban life.
Participants may submit up to three entries, with all work being original and non-AI-generated (standard editing software is permitted). The contest is open to anyone worldwide, regardless of age or experience level, including photographers, filmmakers, and visual storytellers. Winners retain full copyright while granting Penn IUR a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license for attribution use.
The Grand Prize winner receives USD 500, with additional Honorable Mentions featured in Penn IUR's newsletter, social media, and annual report. Please note that prizes are taxable income, with U.S. tax deductions applied for all winners regardless of nationality.
Entries are reviewed by a panel of Penn-affiliated judges who assess submissions based on their authenticity, storytelling focus, and alignment with the contest's human-centered urban life theme. Winners are announced and showcased across Penn IUR channels.