The winners have been announced for the ReBurbia design competition hosted by Inhabitat and dwell. The winning entries run the gambit of absurd to practical. The designs include turning decrepit suburban developments into marshland, rezoning residential areas to promote small commercial districts, turning empty big box stores into farms, and the development of filler architecture turning car-friendly environments into a community focused more on the pedestrian.
The purpose of most architectural competitions is to think out of the box (and by that I really mean WAY outside of the box) and really redefine how we build our environment, rather than figure out the logistics for turning these proposed ideas into reality. If a design makes you question the normative method for creating your reality then you have a winner.
Blue Architecture 