Welcome to Future City New Jersey!
2026-2027 Future City Theme: A Fire Resilient Future!
Congratulations to the 2025-2026 New Jersey Regional Competition Winner!
– Team Agrosyne from JerseySTEM
Congratulations to all of the 2025-2026 NJ Regional winners!
1st Place – Agrosyne from JerseySTEM
2nd Place – Rejuvena from Cedar Hill Prep School
3rd Place – Golden Bloom City from Iselin Middle School
4th Place – Phytonia from Frelinghuysen Middle School
5th Place – Circulo de Vida from Forrestdale School
6th Place – Lya from Kenneth R. Olson Middle School
7th Place – Kosmos from Maple Place Middle School
8th Place – From the Ground Up from Hudson Montessori School
9th Place – Kota Tumbuh from Thomas R. Grover Middle School
10th Place – TerraVie from Miftaahul Uloom Academy
More About the Theme!
The Students' Challenge!
Topic Overview: A Fire Resilient Future
These changes mean that fires can behave differently than they did in the past. Many of today’s most damaging fires to people and structures are wildfires that spread from the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) into cities and towns. Once flames or flying embers reach a neighborhood, homes and buildings cans sometimes ignite from one another like dominos, allowing fire to move quickly through communities instead of staying only in natural areas. This shows that the challenge is not just fire itself, but how and where cities are designed and built.
The good news is that cities are learning how to prepare and respond. In the past, fire management focused mostly on putting fires out or removing vegetation. Today, communities are exploring smarter, more balanced approaches that allow people and nature to live safely together. Engineers, architects, fire marshals, and city planners are working to reduce human-caused fires, designing fire-resistant buildings, creating defensible green spaces, and developing early-warning technologies that reduce risk and protect communities. The cities of the future can be places that grow wisely, adapt to change, and thrive, even in a fire-adapted world.
Remember your city exists at least 100 years in the future. Your engineering solutions should reflect this and be innovative, futuristic, and scientifically plausible!
2025-2026 Sponsors
Diamond Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Other Sponsors
Competition Day
Regional Competition Date: January 16th, 2027
Rutgers University, Livingston Campus Student Center
84 Joyce Kilmer Avenue
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Registration for schools listed under Group 1 will begin at 8:00 AM. Registration for schools listed under Group 2 will begin at 8:30 AM (see “When should we arrive?” section below).
The competition is scheduled to end by 6:00 pm.
Program
While Future City is first and foremost an engineering experience, competition day provides an opportunity for students to gain additional insight into what a future in engineering can include. On Competition Day, students can expect to not only display their model and give their presentation, but also attend multiple fun and educational workshops during the day. Lunch is provided for the students, along with a t-shirt designed around the theme of the competition. In the past, Competition Day has included:
“Meet the Professionals”
ASCE Dream Big Movie
Engineers Without Borders
PSE&G EERC Energy 101
ATTENTION: VEHICLE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR PARKING.
Please use this link to register vehicles prior to January 16th:
You will then be permitted to park in the following parking lots: Lots 105, Green & Yellow Lots.
Competition Day FAQs
Who can attend the competition?
Students: For each team participating in the Regional Competition, only the three students who are presenting may attend. National Rules do not allow student alternates to participate in the regional competition unless they are replacing a team member who was unable to attend. In the event that a team member will be replaced by an alternate on the competition day, the Region Coordinator, Judging Coordinator, and Competition Day Coordinator must be informed by email of the substitution at least one week in advance. No student substitutions will be allowed without prior notice.
Students that are not presenting may not attend the competition.
Family Members: Due to space limitations at the Livingston Student Center, we cannot accommodate the parents and family members of every student, so we ask that teachers and parents work together to limit the number of guests for each team. Parents are only allowed in the competition room when their child is presenting and they must remain quiet at all times so they do not interfere with the judging process. If any parent interferes with the judging process, points will be deducted from their child’s team.
Teachers & Engineering Mentors: For each school participating in the Regional Competition, one teacher and one engineering mentor may attend. If your school has more than one teacher or mentor, please contact the Competition Day Coordinator.
When should we arrive?
Arrival times are in two groups and based upon approximate travel time to the competition site (see below).
Only teachers may register teams. Anyone else attending the competition can wait in the food court area until their team has been registered.
Group 1 – 8:00am Registration
Group 2 – 8:30am Registration
Where do we drop off the models?
The Livingston Campus Student Center has a drop-off area in the front of the building. Please use this area to drop off city models. There will be tables set up inside the building to temporarily store models while teachers check in their teams.
Where can we park?
The Green, Yellow and Lot 105 have been assigned for our use on competition day. A permit will be required for all lots! Please park in these lots only and NOT in any metered space. Those who choose to park elsewhere may be ticketed and fined for parking without a permit.
Please use this link to register vehicles prior to competition day:
https://parkingbase.com/c/rutgers/
Click here for the Livingston Campus map.
What paperwork are we required to bring?
The model expenses and other paperwork is required to be submitted via CMS or a Google form prior to competition day. You may contact the Competition Day Coordinator for information about the required paperwork. Teams that do not have all their paperwork completed and signed will not be allowed to complete the registration process and participate in the competition day activities, including judging.
The paperwork that must be submitted prior to competition day includes the following:
- Media Waiver Form(s) – Make sure that you have your media waiver forms for each student, teacher, and mentor. A student may not compete without this form filled out, signed, and submitted.
- Competition Expenses Form and Receipts for purchases by the team.
- Honor Statement for each team.
What do I need to know?
The competition room has three points of access, the one closest to the food court is for volunteers and judges only. Students, parents, teachers, and mentors should use the two access points at the other side of the building (walking away from the food court and following the hallway to the left).
We will be having the top three teams re-present in the judging hall in front of the students, teachers, and parents. The three final presentations will be judged and will help to determine the overall finish of the top three teams. If your team is not in the finals, please do your best to maintain a quiet, orderly area around your students as the three final teams make their presentations.
The Future City New Jersey Competition t-shirt is provided for the three presenting students on each competing team. Additional t-shirts will be available for purchase at $10 per shirt, please visit the registration desk after 11:00 am for more information. If any schools would like to pre-order additional shirts, please contact the Competition Day Coordinator.
How can I support Future City New Jersey?
The New Jersey Future City Competition is a non-profit group run by volunteers. The solicitation of grants and donations makes it possible to organize this competition. This includes the rental of the facility, providing lunches and t-shirts for competing students, and prizes and STEM grants for students and teachers. If you are interested in making a donation to support future competitions, please visit the registration desk for more information on the competition day or please email the Regional Coordinator.
Special Awards
Special Awards change from year to year and depend on the theme of the competition. The awards, as well as the criteria upon which each city will be measured, is determined closer to the date of the competition. Typically, the types of special awards the students can win are similar to the below.
Most Environmentally Friendly City: Most innovative planning for preservation of the environment while enjoying a sustainable life.
Most Organized City: Best overall use of zones, transportation, and resource management that will allow a maximum return for the quality of life issues.
Most Sustainable City: City that best incorporates sustainability and an integrated approach to managing resources and infrastructure systems.
Most Creative Use of Materials: Most use of innovative materials, construction techniques, and overall construction of design.
Most Innovative Power Generation System: Innovative and efficient use of cutting-edge technology, alternative generation, and renewable resources in energy systems.
Most Innovative Design of Infrastructure Systems: Most efficient design if infrastructure systems including those for consumption, agriculture, industry, recreation, safety, communication, data, and transportation.
Best Economy: Most efficient use of economics to influence urban issues such as crime, education, public transit, housing, and local government finance.
Best Transportation System: Creative design of transportation system that allows both mobility and transport of goods and services.
Best Use of Engineering Principles: Best use of the ideas, rules, or concepts that need to be kept in mind when solving an engineering problem.
Best Futuristic City: Use of futuristic engineering concepts into city’s communications, energy, or transportation systems.
Best Zoning: The design that employs the best zoning practices, taking into consideration the high standards used by zoning boards to help protest the public’s safety and welfare.
Most Accessible City: Most Accessible Design for people with disabilities, the elderly, and others with mobility impairments. Design that accommodates the most innovative systems (e.g., transportation, public rights of way) for a community.
Safest City: Best use of systems and management of resources to ensure the safety and welfare of its residents.
Best Risk Management: Most innovative approaches to managing risk in an urban environment, including those to manage disasters and recover from extreme weather events.
Healthiest City: Best use of systems and management of resources to ensure the health and welfare of its residents and what specifically will guarantee for them an improved quality of life.
Contact Us
Region Coordinator
Allison Riley – region_coordinator@futurecitynj.org
Treasurer/Fundraising Coordinator
Rita Exposito – fundraising@futurecitynj.org
Judging Co-Coordinators
Andrea Almeida & Alba (Grace) Luz – judging@futurecitynj.org
Schools Co-Coordinators
Satish Patel & Aswina Ranasinghe – schools@futurecitynj.org
Competition Day Coordinator
Silvia Santos – competition_day@futurecitynj.org
Mentor Coordinator
Jean Hansen – mentor@futurecitynj.org
Activities Coordinator
Carlos Lopez – activities@futurecitynj.org
Media/Public Relations Coordinator
Eric Baskayan – media@futurecitynj.org
Program Advisors
Matt Lunemann
Scott Lubarsky
Lucas Baskayan
Erica (Sunny) Mullen