Host and road safety advocate James Deakin is inviting the public to join an EDSA redesign contest with a cash prize at stake.
The transport blogger reshared an article on July 29 about the “Rebuild EDSA Challenge,” which offers participants a chance to win ₱100,000 as the grand prize.
“You’ve suffered long enough under other people’s stupidity, now’s your chance to fix it,” James wrote on his Facebook page.
The conceptual design challenge was launched by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, the AltMobility and the Move As One Coalition “to transform EDSA into a safer, more inclusive, and better-connected space for all.”
The organizers said the shortlisted and winning design concepts will be shared with the Department of Transportation, which has expressed its commitment to considering the proposals as part of ongoing efforts to reimagine EDSA.
Participants must be able to redesign the major highway “as a people-centric, accessible, inclusive, and safe civic space that prioritizes pedestrians and everyday commuters.”
“Participants are invited to propose interventions for specific station zones that interface directly with EDSA’s outer lanes, considering multimodal access, pedestrian safety, active transport, integration with public transport, and public space quality,” the website for the challenge reads.
Individuals or teams of up to five members are invited to submit conceptual designs for three pilot sites along EDSA, selected for their high foot traffic, key feeder routes, and strategic role in improving accessibility and multimodal integration.
The designated areas for redesign are the Roosevelt Carousel Bus Stop, Cubao Main Avenue Carousel Bus Stop, and MRT Guadalupe Station.
“While the whole stretch of EDSA needs attention, the Rebuild EDSA Challenge focuses on these three areas, which will serve as starting points to test ideas that can be improved and expanded in the future,” the RebuildEDSA website said.
The grand prize winner will receive P100,000, while the second and third placers will take home P50,000 and P25,000, respectively. A special “People’s Choice Award” will also be given, with a P10,000 cash prize.
Entries for the EDSA Redesign Challenge must take into account the following criteria: comfort and walkability, inclusive and seamless access, safety and security, context-aware and implementable design, and quality of life features.
Participants can submit their conceptual designs until 11:59 p.m. on August 24 through the official submission link.
EDSA, originally a two-lane road called “Highway 54” dating back to the Commonwealth era of 1939, underwent major reconstruction in the 1980s to become the thoroughfare it is today.
According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, EDSA has “actually outlived its design capacity.”
