ENVISION RESILIENCE ANNOUNCES LEWISTON AND AUBURN, MAINE, AS PARTNER CITIES AND UNIVERSITY TEAMS FOR THE 2026 ENVISION RESILIENCE CHALLENGE
Five university teams bring distinct design and research perspectives to Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, to support community efforts to address and adapt to pressing climate challenges.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026
CONTACT:
Nina Berg
917-268-1990
nberg@envisionresilience.org
BOSTON—Envision Resilience announced today the participating cities and university teams selected for the 2026 Envision Resilience Challenge, an interdisciplinary design and research initiative that models the cross-sector and intergenerational collaboration needed to address community-level climate challenges.
Beginning in September 2026 and continuing through spring 2027, graduate and undergraduate students studying architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, urban and sustainable design, and environmental design will work alongside municipal departments, residents and local organizations to explore how the two riverfront Maine cities of Lewiston and Auburn can build climate resilience through their shared histories, landscapes and infrastructure. The 2026 Challenge includes teams from:
Northeastern University, College of Arts, Media and Design
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning
University of Florida, College of Design, Construction and Planning
Rhode Island School of Design
Carnegie Mellon University, School of Architecture
As Lewiston and Auburn continue to navigate a post-industrial transition, climate threats and changing demographics, the Challenge brings design research into conversation with the people and places already shaping the cities.
A central theme among the participating teams is the Androscoggin River, which connects the two cities historically, physically, economically, and ecologically. Within their respective design studios, students will consider how the river and its surrounding landscapes can become better connected—as an ecological corridor and a social and recreational center—to the people of Lewiston and Auburn today. Students will explore these ideas in partnership with individuals from organizations already working to shape the region’s future, including the City of Lewiston and City of Auburn Planning Departments, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, Androscoggin River Watershed Council, Androscoggin Soil and Water District, Platz Associates and Harriman Architects, among others.
Together, the five research and design studios will approach the Challenge from distinct but complementary perspectives. Their work will consider the ways landscapes hold memory and identity; how riverfronts and urban edges can reconnect the two cities; how infrastructure can support care, well-being, and social connection; and how planting systems and permeability can offer ecological strategies for strengthening resilience.
Guiding these studios are faculty leads, some of whom, like Sara Carr, associate professor and lead faculty for the Northeastern University School of Architecture team, return to the Challenge year after year. “Even as a faculty member who is participating in Envision Resilience for the fifth time, it's different every year because the initial ideas, sites, and visions are driven by the communities we work with,” Carr said. “The students are motivated not only by these collaborations, but by the complexity and richness of real-world challenges in real time.”
Studio teams aren’t starting from scratch. Their work builds on years of knowledge, planning and climate policy, notably “Maine Won't Wait,” Maine's comprehensive four-year climate action plan, launched in December 2020 and updated in 2024 by Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Climate Council. “We’re grateful to the local leaders and municipal partners who have laid the groundwork, set the priorities and see their collaboration with the student teams as an additional pathway to move their work forward,” said Charlotte Van Voorhis, community engagement manager at Envision Resilience.
While each Envision Resilience Challenge is rooted in a specific place with different priorities, the work evolves year over year. As the program returns to Maine for the third consecutive year, it builds on relationships and shared learning from previous Challenges in Portland, South Portland, Bath, and Harpswell, bringing new students, perspectives, and design consideration into the on-going statewide conversation about resilience.
"Auburn is excited to welcome Envision Resilience to the Twin Cities,” said Lauren Caffe, long-range planner for the city of Auburn. “The Envision Resilience team brings a systems-thinking and multidisciplinary approach, which is exactly what’s needed to design projects for long-term resilience. This integrated perspective helps ensure that the concepts they put forward are aligned with how the community actually uses and values its spaces and places.”
For Lewiston, the opportunity is grounded in the distinctive character and potential of the city itself.
“Our community offers a rare mix of riverfront, canals, historic mills, historic architecture, public spaces and redevelopment opportunities, all within a city that still feels authentic and lived in,” said Shelley Norton, deputy director of planning and special projects at the city of Lewiston. “The combination of grit, history, beauty and possibility makes places like Mill 5 and Island Point especially compelling for students studying resilience, redevelopment and design.”
Throughout the Challenge, design work will be shared iteratively with community partners, providing opportunities for feedback and exchange as the work develops. The Challenge will culminate in a public exhibition showcasing the teams’ designs for Lewiston and Auburn, which is expected to open in spring of 2027.
Get Involved
Envision Resilience welcomes community members, organizations and others interested in contributing to the 2026 Lewiston-Auburn Challenge. To learn more or share your expertise, email communications@envisionresilience.org.
Updated information will be added throughout the semester on the 2026 Lewiston-Auburn Challenge page at envisionresilience.org/2026-lewiston-auburn-maine-challenge
About Envision Resilience
Envision Resilience works to advance innovative planning and design in the face of climate change through student and community partnerships. By connecting current and future professionals working across disciplines, the organization creates opportunities for communities to reimagine climate challenges and inspire resilient solutions. Envision Resilience, originally developed by Remain, is part of the philanthropic organizations and initiatives created and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all.
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