FAQ

Updated: 6 November 2024

Stage A nominations

How do you define a city?

We define cities as urban entities with a population typically exceeding 100,000, governed by a single mayor or governor, and possessing autonomous jurisdiction, independent of any larger municipal or metropolitan structure. These cities have full administrative control over typical urban infrastructure and services, such as transportation, energy, water, waste management, and housing, as well as other critical systems and facilities essential for a city's functioning and residents' well-being.

Important: If your city is part of a larger municipal or metropolitan entity, please apply under that entity. This will allow jurors to fully understand your city's role, resources, and achievements within the larger context, making it easier for them to accurately assess your application and potential impact.

Who is eligible to nominate?

Cities interested to apply for the Prize must engage an independent third party (nominator) in any of the following categories to nominate them:

1. Professors of architecture, urban planning, urban design, urban development, or related fields from accredited universities.

2. International organisations in the fields of urban planning, housing, transport management, urban design and architecture, energy conservation, urban policy and management, and related fields. Examples include ISOCARP, Fundación Metropoli, United Nations Environment Programme, and Urban Land Institute, among others.

3. Leading urban experts, including principal architects, chief city architects, chief urban planners, chief urban designers, principal sustainability consultants, and other related specialists, preferably holding key appointments at the city level or in firms with regional or international presence.

Self-nominations from employees of the city hall and/or public organisations within the city hall structure are strictly not accepted. Nominations from individuals who fall outside of the above categories may be disqualified.

How many nominations can a nominator make?

There is no limit to the number of nominations a nominator can make. Each nomination must be accompanied by an official nomination form ↗ (opens in new tab). The city must agree to be nominated and follow through the Stage B submissions.

Who can be nominated for the Prize?

The Prize is awarded to cities only. As such, a city may be nominated with the city government taking the lead in the nomination, in association with their key partner organisations (if applicable).

How do I make the nomination?

The nominator shall make the nominations using the official nomination form ↗ (opens in new tab). The nominator shall ensure that the city agrees to be nominated and follows through the Stage B submission process.

How will I know if my nomination is received?

The nominator and the city will receive an automated e-mail reply to acknowledge the receipt of the nomination. The Prize Secretariat will follow up shortly on additional information and details required for the city's Stage B submission.

Is there an entry fee for making a nomination?

No. There are no fees required for both Stage A and B.

What should the Stage A recommendation form contain?

The nominator should make a case to support why the city should win the Prize by highlighting key strategies and/or initiatives that contribute to the holistic transformation of the city over at least 10 years, in particular the creation of liveable, vibrant and sustainable communities within a quality built environment that incorporates the principles of sustainable development.

The following are some guiding points for the nominator:

• Demonstration of good governance and leadership

• Institutionalised key processes for sustained transformation and long-term benefits

• Key agents and urban actors/stakeholders involved (e.g. governments, government agencies, consultants, communities) and their roles in the transformation of the city

• The degree of transformation observed since its implementation and the impact on the local communities

• Outstanding project(s) that contributed to the success of the transformation

Stage B submissions

Who is supposed to prepare the Stage B submission?

The nominated city (i.e. city government and/or key partner organisation appointed by the city) shall prepare the Stage B submission.

What do I need to submit for Stage B?

The nominated city will be informed via email to prepare and submit a detailed report using the official report forms.

Can the city submit additional non-English materials?

The main submission report must be completed in English. You may submit additional materials in English or other languages for reference.

What type of demonstration projects are eligible?

A broad range of projects is accepted, such as:

• Governance

• Public services

• Urban regeneration

• Resilience

• Climate change adaptation

• Environmental projects

• Economic development

• Sustainable transport

• Social programmes

• Smart city initiatives

• Digital initiatives

• Public spaces activation

The demonstration projects should illustrate the success of the city's overall master plan/strategy, and relate to the creation of liveable, vibrant, and sustainable urban communities, and improve the quality of life for the residents.

Do the demonstration projects need to be fully completed?

Demonstration projects must either be fully or partially completed. The completed phase(s) should sufficiently demonstrate the efficacy of the project, i.e. there should be some quantifiable or observable results. The will allow the jurors to make a fair evaluation of the project.

Where can I find the definitions to certain terms used in the Stage B report?

Please refer to the glossary of terms for a list of definitions.

Evaluations

How is the process of evaluation carried out?

The evaluation is carried out through a rigorous two-tier process made up of both the Prize Council and Nominating Committee. The jury panels are composed of renowned professionals and experts in the fields of urban governance and planning, architecture, etc.

With the many high-quality nominations from cities worldwide, the greatest challenge is how to evaluate them across the board. For that, we have distilled a set of fundamental principles, including the impact of the urban initiatives implemented, the sustainability of the achieved outcomes, the practical purpose and levels of innovation that were demonstrated.

Is my city expected to host the jurors for a visit?

The Prize Secretariat may organise a site visit to shortlisted cities to conduct comprehensive on-site assessments. All costs associated with the visit will be borne by the Prize Secretariat. During the visit, meetings will be held with key city officials, partner organisations, and independent third-party stakeholders, and visits to key city projects will be conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the city's initiatives and achievements.

Results and award

How will the results be announced?

The results of the Prize will be announced via an offical press release. The nominated cities will also be informed of their outcomes when the results are released.

Who will be invited to receive the award?

The Mayor (or highest level representative) of the Prize Laureate and Special Mentions will be invited to the Lee Kuan Yew Prize Award Ceremony & Banquet (a highlight event of the World Cities Summit ↗ (opens in new tab), a biennial international Summit held in Singapore) to receive the award. The key city officials and partner organisations are also welcomed to participate in the event.

Will the Prize Laureate and Special Mentions be invited to speak?

The Prize Laureate and Special Mentions will be invited to share their achievements and unique urban intiatives at the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Lecture, a key highlight of World Cities Summit ↗ (opens in new tab), a biennial international Summit held in Singapore.

How can I attend the Prize events at World Cities Summit?

Please check the WCS website ↗ (opens in new tab) for the latest updates.

Others

Who is Lee Kuan Yew?

Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015) was the first Prime Minister of Singapore, serving from 1959 to 1990. He has played a crucial role in transforming Singapore from a developing nation into a prosperous and modern city-state. He has implemented pragmatic economic policies, emphasising education and meritocracy. His leadership fostered political stability, economic growth, and social cohesion. He is widely credited for Singapore's remarkable development and is recognised as a visionary leader.

How does the Prize differ from the quality of life rankings?

Unlike liveability rankings, the Prize looks at the holistic transformation of a city over at least a decade. There are four key aspects that the Prize looks into when assessing the nominations, namely: liveability, vibrancy, sustainability and a high quality of life.

Beyond just liveability, nominations are rigorously evaluated based on demonstration of strong leadership and governance, creativity and innovation in the overall master plan or master strategy, good and replicable urban practices, as well as the long-term sustainability and impact of implementation. These are the elements that are missing from liveability surveys and rankings.

Could Special Mentions be eligible to be a future Prize Laureate?

Yes. As cities are continually growing and evolving, there is always opportunity for Special Mentions to be eligible for the Prize Laureate in future editions. In fact, Medellín and Vienna were recognised as Special Mentions in 2014 and 2016 and went on to become the 2016 and 2020 Prize Laureates respectively.

For other enquiries, please contact us.