Chongqing Attends 2026 UNESCO Creative Cities Network City of Design Annual Meeting

Recently, the 2026 UNESCO Creative Cities Network “City of Design” Annual Meeting was held as scheduled in Berlin, Germany. Representatives from over 30 “Cities of Design” worldwide gathered to explore innovative pathways for design-driven sustainable development. As a key member of the Creative Cities Network, Chongqing comprehensively showcased the rich achievements and innovative vitality of “Chongqing Design.”

On the first day of the annual meeting, the organizers featured a session for newly designated Cities of Design to present themselves. For the first time, La Spezia (Italy), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Daugavpils (Latvia), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) made their appearances, exchanging insights on their cities’ design development. During the best practice sharing session, representatives from several cities presented typical cases of design empowering development. As the only “City of Design” in western China, Chongqing’s representative shared a classic case of the “Sustainable Design Cooperation Model” with Singapore, showcasing the fruitful outcomes of cross-regional industrial collaboration between international cities. Chongqing’s representative also held in-depth exchanges with cities including Kobe, Nagoya, Chiang Rai, and Montreal, reaching preliminary intentions for cooperation on design industry development between cities. During the meeting, Asahikawa, Kobe, and Nagoya (Japan) jointly presented the project “Design Cities Communication: A Framework for Creative Dialogue,” sharing experiences in design interaction and industrial collaboration among Japanese cities. Chiang Rai (Thailand) introduced its practice of “How to Revitalize Intangible Cultural Heritage through Design,” integrating design with handicrafts and folk arts. Montreal (Canada) presented its “Interactive Public Art Installations” project, discussing how design can enhance public awareness of the Creative Cities Network.

During the annual meeting, the organizers also held thematic seminars on “Localized Design,” “Circular Design,” and “Design and AI,” hosted by Wanganui (New Zealand), Montreal (Canada), and Doha (Qatar), fostering dialogue among participating representatives. Concurrently, working group meetings on Design Education, Design Business, and Design Society were convened, chaired by representatives from Kobe (Japan), Kortrijk (Belgium), and Detroit (USA). The delegation also conducted on-site visits to the park, gaining insights into its layout, operational model, and resident enterprises, offering a more direct understanding of the development environment of Chongqing’s design industry.

The special forum on “Impact of Design Weeks” was another highlight of this annual meeting. Representatives from various cities focused on the operational experiences of design weeks, design festivals, and design biennials, delving into how creative events can continuously serve local industries while maintaining long-term development of the urban design ecosystem. Additionally, the annual meeting served as a precursor to the “Design Policy Day” series of events, to be hosted by the World Design Organization in November this year.

Going forward, Chongqing will leverage the international influence of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network platform and, building on the mature mechanism of China-Singapore design cooperation, continue to broaden international collaboration with more Cities of Design. It will further promote the implementation of international design projects, injecting momentum into the global design industry’s development.