Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection ends 15 April 2025

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Deadline: 15 April 2025. The Penn Institute for Urban Research invites photographers and visual storytellers worldwide to participate in our ninth annual photo contest, Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection. This year, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we also celebrate the essential role cities play in bringing people together.

Urban gathering takes countless forms:
• In parks, where nature and community intertwine.
• In the corridors of academia, where ideas ignite movements.
• On festival streets, where music and culture weave a shared rhythm.
• In stadiums, where strangers become allies in the thrill of the game.
• Along transit lines, where millions share fleeting yet meaningful moments.
• In demonstrations, where citizens speak out for their rights.
• Around dinner tables, where food becomes the medium for connection.

Cities thrive because they create environments that are active, innovative, and full of opportunities. Serendipitous encounters fuel productivity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration. The richness of urban life depends on these moments of connection.

What we’re looking for
Submit your best photos or videos (1 minute or less) that capture how cities bring people together: To learn. To connect. To celebrate. To play. To indulge. To protest. To care. To grow. To move. To transform.

To enter via Instagram, mention @penniur in the caption of your post. Please include a short description of the photo, the date and location of the photo, and the hashtag #PennIURPhotoContest. If you do not use social media, email your submission with the subject line “Penn IUR Photo Contest Submission: Gather.”
Join us in showcasing the city’s timeless role as a convener. Please submit your work and help us tell the story of how urban spaces continue to shape human connection–no matter where we are.

Prizes:

A prize of $500 will be awarded to the top submission as determined by a panel of Penn-affiliated judges. Other exemplary submissions will be awarded Honorable Mentions.

Photo Contest Website: https://penniur.upenn.edu/media/news/photo-contest-gather-the-power-of-place-based-connection