Contact us
- Chongqing Industrial Design Promotion Center
- No. 1, Shangqingsi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- +86-23-60332626
- hi@chongqing.design
UNESCO |
Cities of Design
Cities of Design
Network
City of Design since 2019
Asahikawa is located in the upper part of the Kamikawa Basin, in the central region of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The design has played an important role in the development of Asahikawa, and since 1990, the triennial International Furniture Design Fair Asahikawa (IFDA) and the annual Asahikawa Design Week (ADW) established in 2015 have successfully raised awareness about the importance of design.
Contact:
unescoasahikawa@gmail.com
Baku, Azerbaijan
City of Design since 2019
Baku is the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a major seaport on the Caspian Sea, and the largest city in the Caucasus region. Baku is not only a city of wonders boasting a rich history and cultural significance, but also a modern and developing city that embraces both tradition and progress.
Contact:
vasifeyvazzade@gmail.com
City of Design since 2015
Bandung, the capital city of West Bandung is the third largest city in Indonesia, known as the “Paris of the East”. Nearly 56% of Bandung’s economic activities are related to design, with fashion, graphic design, and digital media taking the forefront in the local creative economy.
Contact:
trisye_tje@yahoo.com
Beijing, China
City of Design since 2012
Beijing is the political and cultural center of China, and also a historically significant ancient capital. The design industry, as one of the pillar industries in Beijing, has employed nearly 250,000 people, with an estimated industry value exceeding 160 billion yuan. There are a total of 119 design institutes and over 30,000 students enrolled there in the city.
Contact:
designbj@bidcchina.com
Berlin, Germany
City of Design since 2006
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, with a history of 750 years. As the intersection of different origins and historical moments, Berlin is renowned for its traditions in design as well as contemporary innovation.
Contact:
tanja.muehlhans@senwtf.berlin.de
City of Design since 2014
As the third largest port in Spain, following Barcelona and Valencia, Bilbao strives for transformation, growth, and development of itself and its citizens through design and creativity.
Contact:
mdelblanco@bilbaoekintza.bilbao.eus
Brasilia, Brazil
City of Design since 2017
Brasília, the capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil, is a very young and beautiful city. It has numerous famous attractions and is renowned for its boldly designed architecture.
Contact:
contact@brasiliacityofdesign.com
Budapest, Hungary
City of Design since 2015
Budapest is the capital of Hungary, its creative industry being the driving force for its prosperity. The city is considered an incubator for entrepreneurial designers, where the design industry has been the fastest-growing local creative economy over the past decade.
Contact:
korossy.anett@bpva.hu
Buenos Aires, Argentina
City of Design since 2005
Buenos Aires is the capital of the Argentine Republic and serves as its political, economic, cultural, and transportation center. It is renowned as the “Paris of South America”, with creativity as its key factor in economic and social development.
Contact：
msuarezvalente@buenosaires.gob.ar
City of Design since 2017
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. As the first city in Africa to be named the “City of Design” by UNESCO, it is hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, due to its inclusive creative design in urban public spaces.
Contact:
robin.jutzen@capetown.gov.za
Cebu City, Philippines
City of Design since 2019
Cebu City is the second largest city in the Philippines and serves as a major seaport, international flight hub, and economic center of the country. It is also the primary commercial, trade, and industrial hub in the Visayas and Mindanao political regions, earning the repute “Queen City of the South”.
Contact:
gcarungay@gmail.com
City of Design since 2021
Covilhã is one of the important urban centers in the Beira Interior region of Portugal. The city takes design as its strategic foundation and has a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic, and environmental ecosystems of the city.
Contact:
regina.alexandre@cm-covilha.pt
Curitiba, Brazil
City of Design since 2014
The eighth-largest city in Brazil and the largest city in the southern region, Curitiba has a rich urban culture, with a plethora of venues, events, and artists in the fields of music, cuisine, theater, and design. The creative industry has driven the development of tourism, giving rise to creative clusters and promoting sustainable growth and development.
Contact:
curitibacreativecity@pmc.curitiba.pr.gov.br
Detroit, USA
City of Design since 2015
Detroit is regarded as a hub of industrial design and a powerhouse in the creative industry in Michigan. Due to its industrial history, Detroit has positioned itself as the cradle of American modernist design and a global center that attracts numerous renowned designers.
Contact:
Creative_City_Detroit@detroitc3.com
Doha, Qatar
City of Design since 2021
Doha is the capital and largest city of the State of Qatar, a West Asian country, serving as its economic, transportation, and cultural center. Doha is also known for being a prominent port along the coast of the Persian Gulf.
Contact:
fhalsulaiti@qm.org.qa
Dubai, UAE
City of Design since 2017
Dubai is a modern international metropolis and the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It serves as the economic and financial center of the Middle East and the major transportation hub for both travelers and goods in the region. Dubai has been promoting the development of design through various activities and festivals.
Contact:
iadashti@dm.gov.ae
Dundee, Britain
City of Design since 2014
With a population of nearly 150,000, Dundee is a compact and vibrant city with a strong cultural identity and a history of powerful innovation and creativity. Dundee is dedicated to using design and creativity as key driving forces for its social and economic revitalization.
Contact:
contact@dundeecityofdesign.com
Fortaleza, Brazil
City of Design since 2019
Fortaleza, a major seaport in northeastern Brazil, is the capital of the state of Ceará. Located on the Atlantic coast and spanning both sides of the mouth of the Pajeú River, Fortaleza covers industries like petroleum refining, steel production, shipbuilding, textile manufacturing, leather goods, sugar production, and flour milling, and is also famous for its handicrafts, particularly hammocks and lace weaving.
Contact:
alberto@fortalezacriativa.com
Geelong, Australia
City of Design since 2017
Located in the state of Victoria in southern Australia, Greater Geelong has a long and proud history as a creative city and design leader. It is primarily known for its cutting-edge smart technologies, industrial and urban design, and advanced materials as the core of its development.
Contact:
Creative_City_Geelong@geelongcity.vic.gov.au
Graz, Austria
City of Design since 2011
Graz is the second-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Styria. Its Schloss Eggenberg castle and old town are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city interprets design as an attitude toward sustainable culture.
Contact:
creative_city_graz@graz-cityofdesign.at
Hanoi, Vietnam
City of Design since 2019
Hanoi, the capital and second largest city of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, serves as the national political, cultural, and technological center. Hanoi has a long history of construction and development in the field of design, focusing on the integration and innovation of various cultures.
Contact:
hongubtp@yahoo.com
Helsinki, Finland
City of Design since 2014
Helsinki is the Republic of Finland’s capital and largest port city and its economic, political, cultural, tourism, and transportation center. Design plays a significant role in constructing it into one of the most functional cities in the world. Being a pioneer in the fields of design, education, and sustainable urban development, Helsinki is renowned as a “testbed” for an innovative city.
Contact:
cityofdesign@hel.fi
Istanbul, Turkey
City of Design since 2017
Istanbul is the economic, cultural, and transportation center of Turkey, and it is a world-famous tourist attraction. Geographically spanning Europe and Asia, Istanbul embraces the essence of diverse thoughts, cultures, and arts from Europe, Asia, and Africa, making it an important junction of Eastern and Western philosophies and cultures.
Contact:
unescodesigncity@ibb.istanbul
Kaunas, Lithuania
City of Design since 2015
Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania and was once the temporary capital of the Republic of Lithuania. The architecture in Kaunas was designed and constructed in a modernist style from the very beginning and was assisting Kaunas to develop into a modern European city.
Contact:
creativecity@kaunas.lt
Kobe, Japan
City of Design since 2008
Located in the center of the Japanese archipelago, along the Seto Inland Sea, and being part of the Tokyo-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan region, Kobe is one of the Cities Designated by Government Ordinance, known as an international trading port city. In 1973, Kobe proposed the concept of being a “City of Fashion“.
Kolding, Demark
City of Design since 2017
Kolding is a Danish city where history and modernity harmoniously blend. It is located on the southeastern part of the Jutland Peninsula, across from the island of Fyn.
Contact:
unescodesigncity@kolding.dk
Kortrijk, Belgium
City of Design since 2017
Kortrijk is a culturally renowned city with a history of 1500 years. It is also an important industrial city in Belgium, known as a prestigious international high-tech manufacturing base. Kortrijk hosts an international biennial exhibition every two years, which establishes a good reputation around the world.
Contact:
creative_city_kortrijk@designregio-kortrijk.be
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand
City of Design since 2019
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon is a world-class city, considered the happiest economy in the world. It is the largest city in the Indochinese Peninsula and the second largest city in Southeast Asia, serving as the center for politics, economy, trade, transportation, culture, technology, education, and religion in Thailand.
Contact:
somchai.dec@gmail.com
Mexiko City, Mexico
City of Design since 2017
Mexico City is the capital of the United Mexican States. It is home to approximately half of the country’s industries, businesses, service sectors, and banking and financial institutions, serving as the political, economic, cultural, and transportation center of the nation.
Contact:
creativecdmx@labcd.mx
Montréal, Canada
City of Design since 2006
Montreal is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world and the largest city in the province of Quebec, Canada. In 1991, Montreal became the first city in North America to establish the position of a design commissioner.
Muharraq, Bahrain
City of Design since 2019
Located on the southwest corner of Muharraq Island, Muharraq is the second-largest city in Bahrain. The revitalization of the traditional dhow building project in Muharraq has highlighted the precious historical heritage of this World Heritage site. Subsequently, the project has evolved into a comprehensive endeavor aimed at rebalancing the city’s demographic composition through the creation of public spaces, provision of community and cultural facilities, and overall environmental improvement.
Contact:
k.alkhalifa@culture.gov.bh
Nagoya, Japan
City of Design since 2008
Nagoya is the capital of Aichi-Ken in Japan and is one of the three major metropolitan areas in Japan, alongside Tokyo and Osaka. In 1989, Nagoya proclaimed to build a “City of Design” and issued the “Declaration.”
Contact:
info@creative-nagoya.jp
Puebla, Mexico
City of Design since 2015
Puebla is the fourth largest city in Mexico and is renowned for its development by creativity. In the field of urban design, the city enhances the quality of life through efficient and accessible urban services and improves the infrastructure available for innovative entrepreneurs and creators.
Contact:
pueblacityofdesign@gmail.com
Querétaro, Mexico
City of Design since 2019
Located 220 kilometers northwest of the capital Mexico City, Querétaro is the capital city of Querétaro state and serves as the geographical center of Mexico. The state is known for its thriving agricultural and livestock industries, with the central and southern regions being abundant in fruits, corn, sugarcane, cotton, and potatoes, earning the reputation of the “breadbasket of Mexico”.
Contact:
hola@queretarocreativo.mx
Saint-Étienne, France
City of Design since 2010
Saint-Étienne is the second-largest city in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. The city uses design as a structural tool for economic, social, and cultural development, and empowers industries such as coal mining, metallurgy, and manufacturing of bicycles, weapons, machinery, and textile (accessories) through design.
Contact:
sonia.hedhibi@citedudesign.com
San José, Costa Rica
City of Design since 2019
The capital of the San Jose Province, San Jose is the capital and most populous city of Costa Rica. The city streets are unique in design with a grid pattern. The east-west streets are called “avenues” (avenidas) and the north-south streets are called “streets” (calles). All streets are named in number with the city center as the reference point, increasing numbers as you move away from the center in all four directions.
Contact:
tchaves@msj.go.cr
Seoul, South Korea
City of Design since 2010
Seoul is the capital of South Korea and also its social, economic, and cultural center. As the core of the national design industry, approximately 73% of South Korean designers are living in Seoul. The design industry in Seoul is active in IT devices, digital home appliances, automobiles, as well as various cultural and economic fields, providing services to over 10 million citizens.
Contact:
creative_city@seouldesign.or.kr
Shanghai
City of Design since 2010
Located on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean, in eastern China, at the forefront of the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai is China’s largest commercial and financial center and a major economic city. Shanghai is renowned for its blend of Eastern and Western cultures. It also has a historical significance in terms of creative industries, being home to China’s first design studio, film studio, music studio, and other pioneering creative industry units.
Contact:
info@creativecity-sh.cn
Shenzhen, China
City of Design since 2008
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, China. Designated as a special economic zone by China’s State Council, Shenzhen, a national economic center and a national innovation-oriented city, is one of the core engine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. With a large number of globally influential designs, Shenzhen is the first city in China to be awarded the title of “City of Design” by UNESCO.
Contact:
creative_city_shenzhen@szdpa.org
Singapore
City of Design since 2015
Singapore is a modern and cosmopolitan island nation spanning 700 square kilometers, where design plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life. “Design is our key in nation-building. Singapore is a country of design. Nothing we have today is natural or happened by itself.” Stated Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2018.
Contact:
info@designsingapore.org
Turin, Italy
City of Design since 2014
Turin is the third largest city in Italy, the capital of the Piedmont region, and the largest automotive manufacturing hub in Europe. It is a quaint city with a long history and has been one of the major industrial centers in Italy. Leveraging design, this city has successfully transformed from a center of industry to creativity.
Contact:
creative.cities@comune.torino.it
Whanganui, New Zealand
City of Design since 2021
Located on the southwest coast of New Zealand’s North Island, situated at the mouth of the Whanganui River, Whanganui has a rich tradition in art, theater, and music, and serves as a hub for the distribution of agricultural and pastoral products in the surrounding area.
Contact:
emma.Bugden@whanganuiandpartners.nz
Wuhan, China
City of Design since 2017
Wuhan is the capital city of Hubei Province in China and the largest urban center in the central region of China. Wuhan is characterized by a development trend that emphasizes closer integration of industries, more diverse spatial structures, and more optimized design ecology, where design has fully blended into the city’s development.
Contact:
creative_city_wuhan@whjs.gov.cn