In the unofficial category of "Creative Pollution Solutions," the Dutch firm Studio Roosegaarde is angling to be the winner: the firm has several projects that introduce innovative solutions to existing infrastructural challenges. First up, in partnership with bike-sharing firm OFO, the studio has announced to develop a bicycle that "inhales" smog and then releases purified air by virute of pedaling. 

The project, which was initially announced at a TED forum, has now advanced to the first stage of design. The bikes, which release clean air around each cyclist as they are pedaled, are not only environmentally friendly but culturally attuned: Daan Roosegaarde wanted to reference the iconicity of the bicycle in China while simultaneously improving air quality.

In addition to the bicycles, Studio Roosegaarde has also undertaken the redevelopment of the Icoon Afsluitdijk. As the architects explain: "It is the government-scale landscape innovation project on the legendary Dutch dike, which will be accompanied by the energy-generating kites and light-emitting algae as new light and energy solutions for the cities of tomorrow."

The sheer scale and complexity of the dike, as well as the simultaneously photogenic and organic means of providing energy, distinguishes Studio Roosegaarde's approach as one of the more creative in contemporary design.