Montreal (Canada), 24 November 2022 — World Design Organization (WDO)® announced today the panel of seven experts who will comprise the Selection Committee for World Design Capital® (WDC) 2026. With expertise in both the public and private sectors, as well as the fields of design anthropology, urban studies and industrial design, the group is well poised to select the organization’s tenth WDC city.
The WDC 2026 Selection Committee will consist of (in alphabetical order):
- Ini Archibong: Designer, Creative Director; Founder, Design by Ini
- Xavi Calvo: CEO, World Design Capital Valencia 2022
- Dan Hill: Director, Melbourne School of Design
- Richard Hsu: Cultural Strategist; Adjunct Professor, Tongji University, School of Design and Innovation
- David Kusuma: Senior Vice President of Product Management and Innovation, Oregon Tool; President, World Design Organization
- Anna Kirah: Design Anthropologist and Psychologist, Design without Borders
- Mary W. Rowe: President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute
The members of the selection committee will be tasked with individually evaluating the bids and collectively discussing and debating the merits of each in a series of meetings. Their evaluation is based on a number of criteria, including the ways in which citizens benefit from the use of design in city planning, the capacity to organize and finance a year-long programme of design events, the mobilization and participation of the wider design community, the general population and visitors, as well as the fostering of a wider dialogue on urban revitalization strategies.
The committee is responsible for shortlisting and ultimately selecting which city will be awarded the designation.
For more information about the WDC 2026 bidding process or to download the application guide, visit https://wdo.org/programmes/wdc/becoming-a-wdc/. The deadline for applications is Friday, 31 March 2023.
