“Busan is now embarking on a new journey: to present a model of a sustainable future city to the world. The title of World Design Capital 2028 will be more than a symbolic designation for Busan. We will seek to bring about meaningful change — raising the role of design across the entire city, from urban spaces and industries to culture, the environment, and the everyday lives of our citizens.”
His Excellency Dr. Heong-joon Park, Mayor of Busan
As South Korea’s second-largest metropolis and a historic port city bridging East and West, Busan has long stood at the crossroads of cultural exchange and social transformation. This rich heritage has shaped a distinctive approach to design, one that is collaborative, inclusive and deeply attuned to the needs of its communities. Busan’s designation as World Design Capital® 2028 recognizes the city’s enduring and principled approach to design, specifically in the ways it has brought tangible benefits to everyday life in the city.
Led by Design Council Busan, Busan’s bid demonstrated how the city has consistently harnessed design as a force for people-first, community-centred progress, from forward-thinking initiatives in mobility, public space and the natural environment to collaborative efforts that unite citizens, government, industry and cultural organizations. Guided by the theme Inclusive City, Engaged Design, Busan’s World Design Capital programme will serve to further this work, catalyzing co-creation as a meaningful avenue to address urban challenges in 2028 and beyond.
Busan was awarded the World Design Capital 2028 designation by the WDC 2028 Selection Committee, comprising five international experts in the fields of design, public policy, sustainable development and urban planning. Of the selection, the committee noted that Busan’s bid presented a compelling vision of a city using design to redefine its identity and purpose on a global stage.
Thomas Garvey
2023-2025 WDO President
Canada
Jonathan Glus
Director, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of San Diego
USA
Josephine Yilan Liu
Co-Founder, Urban Future Global Conference
Austria
Charles Montgomery
Author, Urbanist and Co-Founder of Happy Cities
Canada
Alice Rawsthorn
Design critic, Author
UK
