The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has announced that Austin, Texas, will serve as the host city for the 2026 ULI Hines Student Competition – Americas.
Now in its 24th year, the competition invites multidisciplinary student teams to devise innovative, market-feasible development proposals for a real site in a North American city.
Registration is officially open and will run through Nov. 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT.
Interested graduate or fourth-year undergraduate students are encouraged to form teams of five, representing at least two different academic disciplines, to compete for a top prize of $35,000.
This ideas-based competition aims to foster innovation in responsible land use and urban development. Finalist teams will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for the final presentation, where a jury of experts will select the winning proposal.
Since its inception in 2003, more than 12,000 students from over 2,400 teams have participated. The competition was established through an endowment by ULI leader Gerald D. Hines.
Key dates for the 2026 competition include:
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Eligibility Notifications: Dec. 5, 2025
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Challenge Brief Releases: Jan. 2 (partial) and January 5 (full), 2026
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Competition Period: Jan. 5–19, 2026
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Finalists Announced: By Feb. 19, 2026
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Finalist Presentations in Austin: Apr. 2, 2026
For more information, click here.