The World Design Capital® programme was first introduced in 2008 to impress upon cities the importance and recognition of design as a significant tool to enhance economic, social, cultural, and environmental development.
By mobilizing an entire city to advocate on behalf of the power of design to improve quality of life, the WDC programme has since created a movement of design-effective cities around the world that exchange best practices in urban revitalization initiatives. Each of the WDC cities have gone on to become prominent design hubs, which is the real strength of the WDC designation, continuing to communicate the importance of design as a tool to address urban challenges long after their initial designation year.
For more information about legacy programmes in previous WDC cities, visit:
