As Los Angeles prepares to host a series of major global sporting events, USC Dornsife Public Exchange and the USC School of Architecture are teaming up to launch a first-of-its-kind student design competition to tackle one of the region’s growing threats: extreme heat.

The Shade Zones Design Competition kicks off in the fall and will run annually through 2027, officials said Wednesday. This year’s competition is part of ShadeLA, a regional campaign led by USC Dornsife Public Exchange in collaboration with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, and with participation from LA Metro, the city and county of Los Angeles and LA28, the local organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This is an opportunity for students to see their ideas come to life — not just in renderi

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