On January 18, WTS Philadelphia proudly participated in the Future City Competition, celebrating the innovative spirit and creativity of young minds in shaping the cities of tomorrow. As part of our "45 in 45" initiative from 2024, we were honored to serve as a Bronze Sponsor for this event. We had the privilege of presenting the Special Award, "Advancing Women in Transportation Award."

Api Appulingam and Faye Majekodunmi had the exciting task of selecting five outstanding teams to receive the WTS Philadelphia Special Award. These teams were recognized for their visionary designs and thoughtful approaches to urban challenges, demonstrating a strong understanding of sustainable infrastructure, transportation solutions, and community-centric development.

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This year's competition theme, The Floating City Challenge, asked students to reimagine urban environments as floating cities. Inspired by centuries-old tales, including Homer's The Odyssey, this concept is quickly becoming a reality. With predictions that more than 500 coastal cities worldwide could be underwater by the end of this century due to rising sea levels and storms fueled by climate change, floating cities represent a vital and innovative solution.

Thank you to the WTS Philadelphia members who volunteered as mentors at the competition: Mia Held, Madelyn Marquardt, Allyson Radford, and Rose Rinker.

Congratulations to all the participants and winners! WTS Philadelphia is excited to see how these young leaders will shape the future of our cities. Click here to check out photos from the Future Cities Competition!