How can a seat transform the way people experience the city?

Mount Pleasant is one of Vancouver's fastest-growing neighborhoods, by new housing, workplaces, and local businesses. As pedestrian activity continues to grow, opportunities for people to comfortably sit, meet, and spend time in the public realm remain limited.

The PUBLIC SEAT Design Challenge allows participants to design an innovative piece of public seating that enhances everyday urban life. More than simply providing a place to rest, proposals should create opportunities for social interaction, informal gathering, and community engagement. The installation should become a welcoming destination where workers, residents, and visitors can pause, eat, observe, connect, and enjoy the neighbourhood.

Successful submissions will demonstrate thoughtful design, creativity, and an understanding of placemaking and the public realm. Proposals should respond to the site's unique context while considering how a temporary installation can activate the streetscape, strengthen neighbourhood identity, and contribute to a more vibrant and inclusive public space.

Hapa Collaborative and Green Theory invites designers, students, and creative thinkers to participate in the PUBLIC SEAT Design Challenge as part of the Design Vancouver Festival.

Designs will be unveiled on September 26 during Hapa's open studio; it will later become a public installation for visitors to experience within the local area.

Documents: Please download the Design Brief and Submission Requirements from the links on the right side of this page.

Deadline to submit Sunday, Sept 20 , 2026, by midnight.
All applications are welcome (local and international)
Send submission to info@hapacobo.com