As World Design Capital 2016, Taipei joins Torino, Seoul, Helsinki, and Cape Town, a network of cities who are communicating the importance of design to address the challenges of rapid urbanization.
Before its designation as WDC 2016, the city of Taipei had already developed a reputation for innovative design. In just 50 years and despite limited resources, it reinvigorated its urban landscape to include a sophisticated transit system, specialized medical care and a bustling cultural infrastructure.
The city of Taipei leveraged the WDC designation to showcase the ways in which they adapted to meet the needs of its citizens, using design-led innovation to improve quality of life, address the challenges of rapid urbanization, strengthen urban governance, create a forward looking city with design vision, and serve as a model for other cities around the world.