The world's 16 best cities for design

Beijing China design

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Eleven years ago UNESCO launched the Creative Cities Network to recognize cities around the world whose creativity has an impact on their social, economic, and political development.

Of the seven creative fields that name over 69 cities in the network, we've decided to take a look at the cities where design takes center stage.

From incredible architecture in Bilbao, Spain, to international art and culture festivals in Kobe, Japan, these 16 cities are dedicated to the advancement of creativity through design.

Beijing, China is recognized as China's cultural capital. With 119 design colleges and more than 30 Creative Cluster Areas throughout the city, Beijing has a sharp focus on creative economy. As home to the newly built Nairobi Innovation & Design Research Center, the city has set out to enhance women's employment in the design sector through more than 270 creativity workshops.

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Berlin, Germany, is home to more than 5,000 design students that belong to five arts universities. Projekt Zukunft has had a key role in promoting the creative economy of Berlin through developing networks, implementing innovative projects, and building platforms for cultural exchanges. Design Mai, The Berlin Photography Festival, and Walk of Fashion are cornerstones of Berlin's burgeoning design scene.

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Bilbao, Spain's architecture, industrial and interior design, new technologies, fashion, audio-visual, video games, and crafts industries all belong to the Bilbao Bizkaia Design and Creativity Council (BiDC), a 150-member body that fosters design and creativity through projects, initiatives, and exhibitions. Creativity has led this city in northern Spain to new heights as it continues a decades-long economic and community transformation.

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Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been a Creative City for the last decade. The Metropolitan Design Center (CMD) is located in the heart of the city's Design District and functions as Buenos Aires' design hub hosting the International Festival of Design and coordinating a number of public and private design initiatives.

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Curitiba, Brazil, uses design and creativity as an agent for enhancing its urban culture and improving the standard of living for its nearly 1.8 million residents. Curitiba's unique urban planning model combines land use, road systems, and public transportation to create a more humane and innovative metropolis.

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