Exploring urban complexity through the power of images | The Urban Minute #6

Yesterday was a very special day for us: we revealed the winning images of the CitiesToBe Photo Award 2023, our biennial urban photography contest.

As it is sometimes said, a picture is worth a thousand words. Indeed, we are convinced that images are the most powerful vehicle for reflecting how challenging, yet inspiring cities are — and a medium with unmatched strength for provoking new reflections on the different realities and layers that make up cities today and how they interrelate with each other.

This is the ultimate goal of the CitiesToBe Photo Award, and in this new issue of The Urban Minute we are proud to present the works we have selected as Winner and Honorable Mentions among 1,189 images received from 94 countries:

Winning Image: 'Ramadan meals among the ruins in Idlib, Syria' — by Syrian photojournalist Mouneb Taim

The winning image of the CTBPA23 is an impressive and inspiring visual testimony on the role of people and communities as ultimate protagonists and motors of the life of cities — even in the most adverse contexts.

Taken in Idlib,?Syria, during Ramadan 2020, the image underscores a message that defines what we believe in as a company: cities are people.

Honorable Mentions: 10 images with an exceptional ability to inspire new reflections on urban complexity

From the impact of overpopulation in Dhaka to daily life in Berlin's metropolitan periphery, from the urbanization process of nomadic communities in Mongolia to the ephemeral wartime architecture in Kyiv, 10 fascinating and thought-provoking photographic works have received an Honorable Mention by the Jury.

Toma Gerzha , (The Netherlands), Laura Roth, (Austria),? Benedetta Ristori (Italy), Ghazale tehrani (Iran), Ralph Gr?f, (Germany), Nathalie Daoust (Canada),? Gianluca Cecere (Italy),? Therese Debono (Malta), Mithail Afrige Chowdhury (Bangladesh) and Dasha Saparentskaya (Belarus) are the aknowledged authors:

Want to know more about the stories and photographic projects behind the awarded works? Click below to access the full gallery of finalists:

And this Urban Minute is over! Thank you for joining us in this visual journey through urban complexity —?and see you soon!