Thinking Like Bucky

The Buckminster Fuller Institute has announced the 33 finalists in its Buckminster Fuller Challenge. All contest entries are featured on their website, ranging from an 'Urban Space Station' to an idea for 'making energy from dirt'.

1 minute read

March 2, 2009, 1:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur


"The jury will select the winner of the Challenge, to be announced to the public in May 2009. The $100,000 prize and the OmniOculi sculpture will be conferred at a public event at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago on June 6th, 2009 to coincide with Starting With the Universe, the acclaimed retrospective exhibition on the pioneering legacy of R. Buckminster Fuller opening March 14th and on view until June 21st."

"'We are tremendously excited about the finalists to this year's Buckminster Fuller Challenge. They include an amazing array of comprehensive, integrated strategies to tackle the world's major problems, submitted by highly accomplished individuals and/or teams. They come from all over the world and we are thrilled that so many have been submitted by student teams. Every one of them will inspire interest and hopefully, support for their work - I think the jury is in for a very tough deliberation process!' says Elizabeth Thompson, BFI's Executive Director."

Monday, March 2, 2009 in The Buckminster Fuller Institute

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA