From safer streets to greener neighborhoods, the Prize seeks proven solutions that make cities more livable and resilient — and can inspire similar change elsewhere.Applications are open now at PrizeforCities.org until January 13, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.WASHINGTON (September 30, 2026) — World Resources Institute (WRI) today opened applications for the 2027–2028 cycle of the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities, a global award recognizing transformative projects that improve urban life and make cities more sustainable, inclusive and resilient. An independent jury of leading urban thinkers will select one Grand Prize Winner to receive $250,000, with four additional finalists receiving $25,000 each.Applications open as pressures on cities intensify. More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, where rising costs, aging infrastructure and growing threats from extreme heat, flooding and pollution are putting greater strain on people’s daily lives. At the same time, cities have long served as testing grounds for new ideas, with governments, businesses and community groups implementing practical solutions to make neighborhoods healthier, safer and better prepared for a changing climate.Supported by philanthropist Stephen M. Ross, the Prize looks for projects that have moved beyond promising ideas to show results on the ground, improving people’s lives today, strengthening cities for the future and offering practical lessons other cities can apply. Previous finalists have made school journeys safer, reduced heat and flooding through green space, turned vacant land into urban farms and improved livelihoods for informal waste workers.’Cities are where many of the world’s toughest challenges are felt most directly, but they are also where we can reimagine what is possible,’ said Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO of WRI. ‘Every day, city leaders and citizens are finding new ways to make people’s lives better by testing and expanding practical solutions that transform how cities move, grow, create jobs and thrive. At a time when we need each other more than ever, cities can be engines of innovation, hope and optimism. That is why we created the Prize: to find and celebrate these breakthroughs, help cities learn from one another and spread what works.’The Prize is open to businesses, non-governmental organizations, community groups, local governments, individuals and partnerships. Applications should show that projects are already delivering tangible results on the ground and offer lessons or approaches that could inform similar efforts elsewhere. Over its first five cycles, the Prize received more than 1,200 submissions and recognized 25 projects from around the world.’The strongest urban solutions often start with a very specific problem — a dangerous journey to school, a neighborhood cut off from opportunity, a public space that no longer works for the people around it,’ said Rogier van den Berg, Global Director for WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. ‘What makes them powerful is when solving that problem also changes something bigger: how a city plans, invests or serves its residents. That is the kind of lasting change the Prize is looking for.’Past Grand Prize Winners include the Move As One Coalition (Manila, Philippines); Re-Ciclo (Fortaleza, Brazil); Todos al Parque (Barranquilla, Colombia); Sustainable Food Production for a Resilient Rosario (Rosario, Argentina); and School Area Road Safety and Improvements (SARSAI) (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania).Applications are open through January 13, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET. To learn more about the Prize, submit a project and explore previous winners, visit PrizeforCities.org.About World Resources Institute (WRI) WRI works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute’s program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. Together with partners around the world, we help create resilient, inclusive, low-carbon places that are better for people and the planet. Our network of more than 500 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Mexico, Türkiye and the United States combines research excellence with on-the-ground impact to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at wri.org/cities or on social @WRIRossCities.