The world's 16 best cities for design
Beijing, China is recognized as China's cultural capital. With 119 design colleges and more than 30 Creative Cluster Areas throughout the city, Beijing has a sharp focus on creative economy. As home to the newly built Nairobi Innovation & Design Research Center, the city has set out to enhance women's employment in the design sector through more than 270 creativity workshops.
Berlin, Germany, is home to more than 5,000 design students that belong to five arts universities. Projekt Zukunft has had a key role in promoting the creative economy of Berlin through developing networks, implementing innovative projects, and building platforms for cultural exchanges. Design Mai, The Berlin Photography Festival, and Walk of Fashion are cornerstones of Berlin's burgeoning design scene.
Bilbao, Spain's architecture, industrial and interior design, new technologies, fashion, audio-visual, video games, and crafts industries all belong to the Bilbao Bizkaia Design and Creativity Council (BiDC), a 150-member body that fosters design and creativity through projects, initiatives, and exhibitions. Creativity has led this city in northern Spain to new heights as it continues a decades-long economic and community transformation.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been a Creative City for the last decade. The Metropolitan Design Center (CMD) is located in the heart of the city's Design District and functions as Buenos Aires' design hub hosting the International Festival of Design and coordinating a number of public and private design initiatives.
Curitiba, Brazil, uses design and creativity as an agent for enhancing its urban culture and improving the standard of living for its nearly 1.8 million residents. Curitiba's unique urban planning model combines land use, road systems, and public transportation to create a more humane and innovative metropolis.
Dundee, Scotland, is a small city with a rich history in design and textiles. In recent years, Dundee has built a dynamic digital media industry that's helped to revive its social and creative economy. This city has a special focus on community engagement projects through design, many of which take place through the V&A Museum of Design.
As the second-largest city in Austria, Graz is home to two UNESCO world heritage sites and was named a European Capital of Culture ahead of its designation as a City of Design in 2011. Creative Industries Styria (CIS) was founded as a networking association that promotes international collaboration and enhances connections in the private sector in Graz and the surrounding Styria region.
Helsinki, Finland, uses design to improve urban life for its one million inhabitants. Named a City of Design by UNESCO just last year, Helsinki believes that good design should be available to everyone and aims to do this by opening channels of communication between designers, developers, and residents.
Kobe, Japan, has used strong interpersonal ties and creativity to restructure itself after the devastating Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. The Design and Creative Centre Kobe houses projects that communicate Kobe's belief that design yields both beauty and empathy for residents and visitors. Kobe Biennale, the city's art and culture festival, aims to redefine ideas in traditional art.
Nearly 25 years ago, Montreal, the largest metropolis in Quèbec, Canada, became the first North American city to appoint a design commissioner whose job is to oversee the development and promotion of good design throughout the city. More than 25,000 professionals work in design in Montreal as it's home to a number of design and architecture venues including the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and the Maison de l’architecture du Québec.
For at least two decades, Nagoya, Japan, has placed design at the forefront of its development by focusing on community building, product manufacturing, and fostering human resources. Nagoya hosts the World Design Exposition and is home to the International Design Centre Nagoya, which includes "creator's shops" for young designers as well as galleries, exhibitions, and design incubation offices.
For centuries Saint-Ètienne, France, has been regarded as a visionary city for its thriving relationship between art and industry. As the recipient of the 2013 Design Management Europe award, Saint-Ètienne is recognized as a leader through its implementation of design strategies in companies and public policies and services.
Seoul, South Korea, is focused on a mechanical design sector involving IT devices, digital home appliances, and the automotive industry. In addition, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the city's public design center, is comprised of an art hall and a design lab which includes a design library and educational design facilities.
Despite Shanghai's reputation as a the largest commercial and financial center in China, it was the first city in the country to open design, film, and music studios. By the end of 2013, Shanghai counted more than 87 Creative Clusters, 4,000 design-related agencies and institutions, 283 art institutions, 239 art and cultural community centers, and 100 museums.
Shenzhen, China, has been the model for Chinese economic success for three decades but its gradual introduction into design and culture has enlivened both its residents and economy. With more than 6,000 design firms employing 100,000 people throughout the city, Shenzhen has become China's largest production base for women's clothing. The Shenzhen Design Award for Young Talents is the crux of the city's efforts to nurture and highlight young and creative designers.
Turin, Italy, has long been regarded as Italy's most industrial city for its steel, textile, and automobile roots. Over the past few decades, however, Turin has transformed itself into a creative hub through its regeneration of urban spaces and support for artists. The city's Creative Network Steering Committee is a collaborative effort of the public, private, and academic sectors to enhance and unite Turin's talents.
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