“Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life is more than a theme. It is a call and an invitation to jointly address the most pressing problems of our time and to jointly search for solutions. In our region, design will be able to demonstrate its relevance through concrete topics and practical examples and to make clear what a significant tool design can be for the transformation processes of societies.”
Matthias Wagner K, Director of Museum Angewandte Kunst
Frankfurt RheinMain’s designation as World Design Capital® 2026 reflects a deeply rooted design tradition that extends far beyond aesthetics into the very fabric of its society and history. As one of Germany’s most dynamic metropolitan regions, comprising over 70 cities and towns, the area has long been a crossroads of cultural innovation, collaborative urban initiatives, and transformative design thinking. From movements in urban reform and civic architecture to contemporary collaborations among universities, cultural institutions and civic organizations, the region has cultivated a legacy of design that shapes public life, built environments and shared civic spaces.
The region’s bid for 2026, put forth by Design FRM gGmbH under the theme Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a Better Life, captured this legacy while looking forward to pressing global and local challenges. Rooted in Frankfurt RheinMain’s role as a nexus of democratic ideas and civic engagement, the designation signals a deliberate shift from design as a discipline or commodity to design as an inclusive practice that empowers citizens and institutions to co-create solutions for thriving, resilient communities.
Frankfurt RheinMain was awarded the designation by the WDC 2026 Selection Committee, comprising seven international experts in the fields of design anthropology, urban studies, public policy and civic advocacy. Of the selection, the committee noted that the Frankfurt RheinMain bid was both compelling and timely in the way that it explored design’s impact on civic well-being and social accountability and that overall, the region demonstrated a very strong alignment to the long-standing objectives of the WDC programme.
Thomas Garvey
2023-2025 WDO President
Ottawa (Canada)
Jonathan Glus
Director, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of San Diego
San Diego (USA)
Josephine Yilan Liu
Co-Founder, Urban Future Global Conference
Vienna (Austria)
Charles Montgomery
Author, Urbanist and Co-Founder of Happy Cities
Vancouver (Canada)
Alice Rawsthorn
Design critic, Author
London (UK)
