The results of the 2024 WUPENiCity International Competition, organized by the World Urban Planning Education Network (WUPEN) and focusing on urban design, urban sustainability reports, and international students' coursework, have recently been announced. Eight instructors and nineteen students from the School of Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forest University (BFU) collectively won five awards, including one first prize, one third prize, and three nomination awards.

This year's competition comprised three categories: "Urban Design", "Sustainability Research Reports", and "Smart Low-Carbon Transportation". Awards were distributed as follows: First prize went to the top 1% of entries, second prize to the top 2%-5%, third prize to the top 6%-10%, and nomination awards to the top 15%. Students from Beijing Forest University's School of Landscape Architecture have consistently excelled in this competition over the years, and this year's achievements spanned all three categories.

The first-prize project, titled "Meta-Backstreet: The Digital Backstreet of College Road in Beijing – Generation Logic and Spatiotemporal Characteristics," was crafted by a team of four students—Meng Ziyi, Han Yixue, Liu Fangjun, and Liu Shuran—under the mentorship of faculty members Qian Yun and Bi Bo. This innovative project delved into the concept of the "digital backstreet" along Beijing's College Road, focusing on universities. By employing a multifaceted approach that included interviews, surveys, observations, and data scraping, the team amassed a wealth of firsthand data. They then applied both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques to examine how gated campuses, influenced by digital technology and the community economy, transform into hybrid spaces where virtual and physical realms converge. Additionally, the project investigated social networking dynamics, identified pivotal patterns, posed thought-provoking questions, and provided forward-looking insights into the future trajectories of "Meta-Backstreets."

Written by You Qian Yun, Han Yishue
Translated and edited by Song He
Reviewed by Yu Yangyang