A' Street and City Furniture Design Awards opens 2026 nominations

A' Design Award & Competition has opened entries for the 2026 A' International Street and City Furniture Design Awards, with a September 30 deadline and results due May 1, 2027. The competition targets urban designers, municipalities and manufacturers worldwide and aims to spotlight public-space furniture that improves city life.

Why it matters: - The competition is aimed at projects that shape public spaces, including benches, bus shelters, bicycle racks, lighting fixtures and smart urban installations. - Winning entries can gain international exposure, which matters for designers, municipalities and manufacturers trying to scale public-space products and ideas. - The awards are positioned around design quality, functionality, durability and innovation, which are key criteria in city infrastructure procurement and planning.

What happened: - A' Design Award & Competition opened the call for entries for the 2026 A' International Street and City Furniture Design Awards. - The awards are open to street furniture designers, industrial design studios, brands, manufacturers, urban planners, landscape architects, public space designers, city development agencies, design consultants, architects, artists, civil engineers, material science specialists, outdoor lighting designers and R&D companies worldwide. - Eligible projects must have been created within the last 10 years. - Entries must be submitted by September 30, 2026. - Results will be announced on May 1, 2027.

The details: - The competition uses a two-phase process that starts with a complimentary preliminary urban furniture design evaluation. - Projects that pass the preliminaries can move on to nomination, which carries a nominal fee. - Submissions can include benches, bollards, bus shelters, bicycle racks, litter bins, planters, signage, lighting fixtures and other street furniture. - Entries are reviewed anonymously by an international jury of more than 300 academics, architects, designers, urban planners and industry professionals. - The jury evaluates entries on design quality, functionality, durability and innovation. - Sub-category descriptions are available in the competition listing: Additional details. - Registrations are available here: Submit an entry. - Past winners are listed here: See past winners.

Between the lines: - The awards package is built not just around recognition, but around promotion and media distribution. - Professional-edition laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes a certificate, winner logo license, yearbook, exhibitions in Italy, trophy, gala-night invitation, foreign-language translation, club entry and ranking platform placement. - Laureates also receive an exclusive interview, a prepared press release and a press kit with images, logos and portfolio material. - The competition says the press kits are distributed to thousands of accredited media members, with dozens of press partners already confirmed to publish selected winning projects.

What's next: - Designers and organizations can still register and submit eligible projects before the September 30, 2026 deadline. - Award winners will be announced on May 1, 2027. - Laureates are expected to receive promotional materials and media support after the results are announced.

The bottom line: - A' Design Award & Competition is using the 2026 street and city furniture awards to push high-design public-space projects into a global spotlight, with judging, rankings and media support built into the program.