65 young urbanists will take part in the face-to-face stage of the All-Russian Hackathon "Cities".

The qualifying stage of the All-Russian urban Hackathon "Cities" has ended. According to the results of the portfolio competition, an expert jury of more than 400 participants selected 65 young professionals with the strongest applications and motivation letters. As part of the face-to-face stage, they will have to develop urban improvement concepts in project teams, which play a key role in the creative specialization of four Russian cities.

10 contestants will travel to the Ivanovo region to propose a project to improve Sovetskaya Street in the historic district of Yuryevets, one of the oldest cities in Russia. Another 10 participants will work on the architectural concept of the Center for Creative Industries in Almetyevsk (Republic of Tatarstan). 30 participants will have the opportunity to present their conceptual vision of the "City of Talents" in Kemerovo. The teams here will be multidisciplinary: they will include not only architects, but also gastronomists, biologists, landscape designers, producers, economists, and engineers. 15 young architects will show their skills in planning the central tourist route in the ancient merchant town of the Kurgan region – Shadrinsk. One of the three teams that will work in Shadrinsk is made up entirely of local guys: five applications from architects from the Kurgan region received high marks from experts.

"We are embarking on the most interesting stage of the hackathon: working in cities and with specific facilities that have their own history, character and a certain role in the creative economic specialization of the participating cities. Creative searches, inspiring discussions and bold experiments are ahead. We ask not only what is the feeling of beauty, but also what is the feeling of a wonderful future? How do young urbanists see it in 2025? We will see very soon," said Mikhail Astanin, head of the All–Russian Urban Hackathon "Cities".

Following the results of the qualifying round of the new season of the Cities Hackathon, the curators noted an increase in the quality of the portfolio and the number of completed projects, the high motivation of the participants, as well as the growing importance of the hackathon as a leading educational platform in the field of urban development.

Over 400 applications from 52 regions of Russia have been received for participation in the All–Russian Urban Hackathon "Cities" 2025. The application campaign for the new season of the main urban project has become the most active in six years.

For the first time this year, applications were received from abroad, in particular, from Israel. A large number of applications were received from young university professors and scientists.

The range of specialties of the participants has also expanded. The new season of the hackathon involves not only young architects and urbanists from 18 to 35 years old, but also specialists in related fields: graphic and landscape designers, engineers, environmentalists, botanists, professionals in the field of gastronomy and hospitality, economists, restorers, producers.

The winning team's project will have a chance to be implemented with the support of regional and federal authorities.

The Cities Hackathon is the largest competition for young professionals to create architectural concepts of urban spaces and facilities, and create a comfortable urban environment, including in small towns and historical settlements. The project is being implemented by ANO Creative Economy with the support of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Rosmolodezh as part of the national Youth and Children project.

The competition is being held for the seventh time. Over the past six years, more than 1,000 young architects and urbanists have participated in the project. The geography of the urban hackathon covers over 20 regions from the Kaliningrad Region to the Primorsky Territory. The finalist teams, with the support of experts, have prepared more than 50 architectural concepts.