World Cities Day Challenge: Guardian Cities and UN Habitat

UN Habitat has designated October 31st as World Cities Day.

In honor of the event, Guardian Cities and UN Habitat have announced the World Cities Day Challenge.

From Guardian Cities:

We want to hear the best ideas from cities around the world – one idea, pioneered by your city, that other cities should adopt. And you could be the person to represent your city on the big day.

Every city has different ideas that make it great, from the first skyscrapers and metros in New York and London to more recent innovations like congestion charging, bike sharing, buried expressways or floating schools. What unique venture can your city boast to the rest of the world – something that would make a real difference to the lives of residents of other cities?

If you think you've got what it takes to be the representative of your city's best idea, we want to hear from you now! We'll pick one individual or group per city, who will each get their own slot on the Guardian Cities website to present their idea over the course of 31 October.

Readers worldwide will be able to follow from city to city, ask follow-up questions of the presenters and debate which ideas they like best. An expert panel including UN Habitat representatives and Guardian Cities editors (and a few surprise special guests) will assess the presentations, and announce the winning city at the end of the day.

Whether you're a school pupil or a mayor, a firm of architects or a lone bedroom inventor, don't be shy: there is no restriction on who can volunteer, so long as you live or work in the city you represent and are available on 31 October to defend your city's best idea in English.

Your big idea can be anything you like – a community initiative, technical innovation, groundbreaking building, new green space … just so long as your city has already implemented it (or is in the process of doing so) and other cities could benefit from adopting it.

Just send a brief, 100-word outline of you and your city's idea by 15 September 2014; the city representatives will be selected by 30 September.

Email us at: cities.day.challenge@theguardian.com