Creative industries are at the core of efforts to sustain cultural diversity. By building this network of cities that have creativity in common, UNESCO therefore seeks to facilitate and promote exchanges of best practices and know-how among them and, as a result, help spur their development via international networking.
“Nowadays, more than half of the world population lives in cities. The concept of ‘Creative Cities’ is based on the belief that culture can play an important role in urban renewal. Policy-makers are increasingly taking account of the role of creativity when planning economic policy.” (Source: UNESCO)
To date, the Network consists of 20 member cities in seven centres of creativity:
Media Arts (Lyon, France); Craft and Folk Art (Aswan, Egypt; Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.; Kanazawa, Japan); Film (Bradford, UK); Design (Buenos Aires, Argentina; Berlin, Germany; Montréal, Canada; Kobe, Japan; Nagoya, Japan; Shenzhen, China; Shanghai, China); Gastronomy (Popayan, Colombia); Literature (Edinburgh, Scotland; Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.A.; Melbourne, Australia); and Music (Bologna, Italy; Seville, Spain; Glasgow, Scotland; Ghent, Belgium).
Each UNESCO City of Design has been chosen following submission of an application that meets the following selection criteria established by UNESCO:
- Established design industry;
- Cultural landscape fuelled by design and the built environment (architecture, urban planning, public spaces, monuments, transportation, signage and information systems, typography, etc.);
- Design schools and design research centres;
- Practising groups of creators and designers with continuous activity at a local and/or national level;
- Experience in hosting fairs, events and exhibits devoted to design;
- Opportunity for local designers and urban planners to take advantage of local materials and urban/natural conditions;
- Design-driven creative industries, e.g., architecture and interiors, fashion and textiles, jewelry and accessories, interaction design, urban design, sustainable design.
In granting Montréal the title City of Design, UNESCO has acknowledged the city’s creative potential in the design disciplines, based on the strong concentration of talent here as well as the commitment and determination of the Ville de Montréal, other levels of government and civil society to build on those strengths for the purpose of enhancing Montrealers’ quality of life.
The UNESCO designation is neither a label nor a form of recognition. It is an invitation to develop Montréal around its creative forces in design. Montréal, UNESCO City of Design is thus a collective project that, to become a reality over time, demands that all stakeholders – elected officials, citizens, experts, entrepreneurs and designers – buy into it and make it their own.
The challenge now is to bring this designation to life and make it tangible for Montrealers. The call therefore goes out to everyone: it is time to build “Montréal, UNESCO City of Design,” together.
