Singapore looks to live up to UNESCO Creative City designation

Having been designated a UNESCO Creative City of Design in December, Singapore has joined a family of cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

Announced with little fanfare, the UNESCO accolade recognises business-like and forward looking Singapore as a city that backs creativity as a strategic factor for development.

Designated along with Bandung in Indonesia, the two South East Asian cities, along with Budapest (Hungary), Detroit (United States), Kaunas (Lithuania) and Puebla (Mexico) joined 16 existing members in the Cities of Design network.

Welcoming the designation, Singapore’s Minister of Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim stated “as a UNESCO Creative City of Design, Singapore will continue to use design to improve the lives of Singaporeans and make Singapore a more liveable and lovable city.”

Minister Ibrahim expects that the designation will widen Singapore’s global design network and create more opportunities for collaborations between the Singapore design industry and other member cities, adding “the international cooperation and knowledge exchange will contribute towards capability development of our design industry and also help Singapore keep abreast with the latest international design developments, best practices and international benchmark.

"We will also work towards helping businesses be more innovative through design. The designation will spur us on in building a pervasive design and innovative culture that involves everyone - designers, communities and the public.”

Launched in 2004 and now comprising 116 member cities, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims to foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy. Apart from Design, the other creative fields in the network are Crafts and Folk Arts, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Now that the country has been recognised in the UCCN, the DesignSingapore Council will double its role as the City of Design Office, in addition to playing host to the annual UCCN Conference within the next four years.

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