Today’s middle-school students will be designing tomorrow’s cities, and the Future City Competition gives the public a peek at what to expect. The competition will hold its regional finals from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27 at UIC‘s Chicago Circle Center. The event, which is free to the public, promises “large, colorful models of cities and incredible, realistic expectations for the next century.” Students in the competition design their cities with simulation software, build scale models, write essays and give oral presentations. Numerous awards are given in categories like Most Healthy Community, Best Transportation System, Best Consideration of Ground Conditions, and Best High-rise, and the winning school goes on to the national finals in Washington, D.C.