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Milton Today
By the People, for the People
Middle Schoolers Envision Future Cities at Competition
16 teams presented innovative city concepts at the Illinois Future City competition.
Published on Feb. 12, 2026
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At the annual Future City competition in Illinois, 16 middle school teams showcased their visions for the cities of tomorrow. The students designed cutting-edge urban centers focused on sustainability, technology, and community-centric planning.
Why it matters
The Future City competition encourages young students to think creatively about the challenges and possibilities of urban design, helping to shape the next generation of city planners, architects, and civic leaders.
The details
The Future City competition challenges middle school students to design and build scale models of futuristic cities that address real-world issues like transportation, energy, public spaces, and quality of life. The 16 teams that presented their concepts at the Illinois regional event proposed innovative solutions ranging from floating neighborhoods and vertical farming to autonomous vehicle networks and carbon-neutral energy grids.
- The Future City competition took place on February 12, 2026 in Milton, Illinois.
The players
Future City Competition
An annual competition that challenges middle school students to design and build scale models of cities of the future.
What’s next
The winning team from the Illinois regional competition will advance to the national Future City finals, where they will compete against other regional champions from across the United States.
The takeaway
The innovative city designs presented by these middle school students demonstrate the creativity and problem-solving skills of the next generation of urban planners, showcasing their vision for more sustainable, livable, and technologically advanced cities of the future.
