The Government's adviser on urban design CABE, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, will assist the Government in the competition and establish a judging panel to assess the entries. The competition will focus both on the practical design ideas and the design and development process. A prize will be made available for the overall winner of the competition, as well as awards for specialist areas.

The aims of the competition are to gather ideas:

* from the best national and international thinkers in the fields of town planning, urban design, architecture, landscape design, transport and environmental planning;

* on what an eco-town could and should try to achieve, and how the design and development process can support positive outcomes;

* on the key design features that should be considered when designing an eco-town, eg regional and local identity;

* on the design layout of eco-towns and how they tie in with existing transport links and the natural landscape; and

* on housing layouts and sustainability features

Each of the ten eco towns is likely to contain around 20,000 houses.