Gujarat’s Ahmedabad [India], A group of five students from CEPT University achieved a historic feat by taking first place in the 2025 ULI Hines Student Competition-Asia Pacific. This became CEPT the first Indian university to win the prestigious competition in its 23-year existence. At today’s ULI Asia Pacific Summit in Hong Kong, where the CEPT team presented their innovative concept to a worldwide audience of peers, academics, and industry executives, the winners were revealed.
Thirty-three interdisciplinary teams from ten Asia Pacific nations and territories participated in this year’s tournament. Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), The University of Melbourne (Australia), and CEPT University (India) were among the finalist teams. In 2024, CEPT University participated for the first time and placed first runner-up.
The winning team, which represented India as the Zoning Out Crew, consisted of Sriram Soni from the Master’s in Urban Infrastructure program and Danish Sikkander, Pooja Save, Pranav Amarnath, and Rishi Kumar from the Master’s in Urban Design program. Purvi Chhadva, the Master’s in Urban Design program chair, and Dr. Mona Iyer, a professor at CEPT University’s Faculty of Planning, served as the team’s mentors.
The team’s award will include ULI memberships, assistance with travel and lodging, and the chance to network with top international experts in urban innovation, planning, and real estate.
Students from CEPT University reimagined Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Waterfront as a next-generation “sharing city”—a dynamic urban model where density, integrated infrastructure, and community-driven design promote innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth—in their proposal, “Kai Tak 2050: The Active Shared City.” The five main pillars of shared transportation, green areas, living, culture, and resources served as the foundation for the idea. The group envisioned an urban future in which sharing is a way to improve quality of life rather than a sacrifice. The plan promotes Kai Tak as a possible worldwide model for future high-density, livable, and resilient communities by promoting social contact and active living, considering density as an asset, and promoting economic self-sufficiency.
Co-living and innovation hubs, a multi-level, car-free transportation system, climate-resilient parks and rooftop farms, a cultural corridor for learning and creativity, and a zero-carbon district fueled by renewable energy and circular systems were all included in the concept. These elements came together to create an inclusive, forward-thinking urban plan. The judges recognized the entry as a scalable and forward-thinking strategy for sustainable and equitable urban development, and they commended it for its uniqueness, financial viability, and community-first approach.
“It was an amazing experience of teamwork and development to lead the Zoning Out Crew in the ULI Hines Competition,” stated Rishi Kumar, a CEPT student. We were able to create a well-considered, comprehensive design since each member improved their abilities in areas such as strategy, narrative, visualization, and real-world application. We strengthened our capacity to create outside traditional bounds by embracing a variety of viewpoints.
Prof. Shalini Sinha, dean of CEPT University’s Faculty of Planning, reflected on the importance of this accomplishment by stressing the students’ approach’s worldwide applicability and the academic culture that influenced it. “This award is a credit to our curriculum, which promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and socially conscious urban solutions, in addition to celebrating design achievement. It strengthens our conviction that careful planning, supported by ingenuity and thorough analysis, may lead to revolutionary transformation,” she said.
Prof. Barjor Mehta, president of CEPT University, praised the team’s excellent performance and the students’ international recognition, saying, “This victory is a happy occasion. Our students have shown how audacious, people-centered ideas can influence global discussions about the future of cities when they are based on viability. This accomplishment marks a turning point and demonstrates our expanding influence on the urban futures of the world.
The ULI Hines Student Competition-Asia Pacific is considered the most prominent urban ideas competition in the area and is organized by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in collaboration with Hines. Final-year undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to work in multidisciplinary teams to provide creative, sustainable, and profitable solutions to real-world urban development problems. For a genuine location in a major Asia Pacific metropolis, teams have three weeks to provide a whole concept that includes planning, design, and financial analysis.
You may see the winning proposal online. Go to https://asia.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/3_8224_The-Active-Shared-City_NarrativeSummary.pdf to see the narrative summary.
Concerning CEPT University
In the fields of architecture, planning, design, technology, and urban management, CEPT University is a renowned leader in both teaching and research. Its research initiatives expand knowledge in its fields of competence, while its teaching programs seek to develop intelligent professionals. In order to assist the federal, state, and local governments as well as sizable segments of the private sector, CEPT University also conducts consultancy initiatives. The University works to improve the quality of life for people in India’s towns, cities, and villages via its research, teaching, and consulting activities.
Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Planning, Faculty of Technology, Faculty of Design, and Faculty of Management are the five faculties that make up the university. The Indian government designated CEPT University as a Center of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design in December 2023. This includes a 250-crore endowment that will be utilized over the next 25 years for training and research on India-specific urban planning and design skills.
The Gujarati government passed the CEPT University Act in 2005, which created CEPT University. It began as the School of Architecture in 1962 with funding from the Ahmedabad Education Society. The University is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Government of India’s Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). The Gujarati government has designated CEPT University as a Center of Excellence. More than 30 active partnerships and exchange initiatives exist between CEPT University and highly esteemed institutions worldwide.
