Students arrive in Washington for 2026 Future City finals showcasing farm-to-table urban design solutions
A national STEM finals week returns to the District
Middle and high school students are gathering in Washington, D.C., for the 2026 Future City finals, a multi-day competition that culminates with judging and awards events in mid-February. The finals are scheduled for Feb. 14–18, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, near Union Station.
The annual program challenges students to design cities of the future using engineering concepts, research, and presentations assessed by panels of judges. Finalist teams advance from regional and qualifying rounds held across the United States, with some participation from outside the country.
What students are being asked to design this year
The 2025–2026 season theme centers on “Farm to Table,” focusing on how cities can grow, move, consume, and reuse food while reducing waste. Student work is expected to connect infrastructure and technology with policy and community needs, reflecting real-world constraints such as resource limits and system interdependencies.
The theme encourages teams to address questions that frequently arise in urban planning and resilience work, including supply-chain reliability, public health considerations, and the environmental impacts of food production and distribution.
How the finals are structured
Finals week combines competition activities with public-facing elements. Events include model set-up and judging, scheduled team photo sessions, and an awards ceremony. Organizers also list an expo hall and a city models showcase that is open to the public during the finals schedule.
The program operates with distinct tracks for middle school and high school participants. High school finalists are selected through a qualification process that results in a Top 20 field for the in-person finals. Scholarship awards are part of the high school competition, with announced top prizes for first-, second-, and third-place teams.
- Finals dates: Feb. 14–18, 2026
- Venue: Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
- Key components: judging sessions, presentations, model showcases, and a finals awards ceremony
Why the event matters for STEM learning
Future City is built around project-based learning: teams develop a proposed city solution, document their process, and present to technical judges. The structure is designed to test applied problem-solving, communication, and collaboration under time and scoring constraints similar to those used in engineering reviews.
The finals bring student teams into direct contact with engineering-style evaluation, where designs are expected to be both imaginative and feasible within stated requirements.
For Washington, the event adds a student-centered STEM gathering to the city’s February calendar, drawing visiting teams, educators, and mentors into the Capitol Hill area during the competition period.