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Architects and urban designers recognised for putting young people at the heart of shaping places
Leading architectural practices, urban designers and built environment organisations are among the finalists for the 2026 Inspire Future Generations Awards, celebrating excellence in engaging children and young people in shaping the built environment.
The finalists for TET’s 2026 Inspire Future Generations Awards (IFG Awards) have been announced, recognising projects and organisations across the UK, Ireland and internationally that are demonstrating how children and young people can meaningfully influence the design and development of the places around them.
This year's awards attracted over 100 entries, with 68 finalists progressing following the selection process.. The breadth of work demonstrates the growing recognition that children and young people have valuable perspectives, knowledge and ideas to contribute to architecture, urban design, regeneration and placemaking.
Among the architectural practices represented in this year's finalists are Gensler, Hawkins\Brown, Grimshaw Foundation, Scott Brownrigg, Heatherwick Studio, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), alongside organisations working across planning, regeneration, public space and community development. Alongside these are property and development organisations - Urban&Civic, Taylor Woodrow, Arcadis and Elevate/London Legacy Development Corporation; and public-sector organisations including Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service, Sheffield City Council, London Borough of Waltham Forest , Sheffield City Council and West of England Combined Authority.
The awards recognise work across a range of areas, including regeneration, climate change, community, healthy spaces, heritage, culture, social value, skills development, materials and resources research, strategic vision, place-making and embedding meaningful engagement into practice.
A central principle of the IFG Awards is that meaningful engagement goes beyond consultation or participation. The awards seek evidence of how children and young people's ideas and contributions have influenced design decisions, shaped outcomes and helped create better places and communities.
For architects and urban designers, this presents an important opportunity to recognise the value of working with younger generations as contributors to the design process, bringing different perspectives to the challenges of creating inclusive, sustainable and inspiring places.
Victoria Thornton, Director of Thornton Education Trust, said:
“Architecture and urban design have a profound influence on the lives of children and young people, yet their perspectives are too often missing from the decisions that shape their environments. Many of the projects shortlisted this year demonstrate what is possible when young people are recognised not simply as users of places, but as people whose knowledge, creativity and ideas can genuinely influence how those places are designed and developed.”
The finalists will come together for the Inspire Future Generations Awards celebration and networking event on 8 December 2026 at the Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell, London.
The full list of finalists can be viewed at:
https://www.thorntoneducationtrust.org/ifga26-finalists
ENDS
Notes to editors
Thornton Education Trust (TET) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating a stepchange in how children and young people engage with and influence the built environment. TET works across education and industry to champion meaningful engagement, participatory design and the involvement of younger generations in shaping the places and communities of the future.
Through its programmes, awards, research and publications, TET builds knowledge, shares evidence, promotes best practice and encourages schools, universities, architectural practices, local authorities and development organisations to embed meaningful engagement with children and young people into their work.
The Inspire Future Generations Awards celebrate excellence in engaging children and young people in shaping the built environment. They recognise projects, organisations and emerging approaches that demonstrate how young people can influence the decisions, processes and outcomes that shape their places and communities.
Website: https://www.thorntoneducationtrust.org
Awards information: https://www.thorntoneducationtrust.org/ifga26-finalists
Media contact: Thornton Education Trust – [insert contact email]
