Five cities awarded UNESCO City of Design status

«It’s absolutely fantastic that the work of the people and organisations behind Dundee’s creative and design excellence has now been further recognised by UNESCO,» said   Janet Archer, CEO of Creative Scotland, «a huge accolade that firmly positions Dundee on an international stage – alongside Edinburgh as UNESCO City of Literature and Glasgow as UNESCO City of Music.»
Turin. Among Dundee’s   design accolades the university states the development of orange marmalade, video games Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings, and comics The Beano and The Dandy alongside the opening of the VA. Curitiba»UNESCO City of Design status is a major recognition of everything Dundee has achieved, from life-saving biosciences innovations to the design of comics and games – many created by Abertay graduates – and of what we can achieve in the future,» said Principal of Abertay University, Professor Nigel Seaton. Image courtesy of The Next Helsinki. Dundee. The scheme aims to promote the development   of local creative industries, and to foster relationships and resource-sharing between fellow Cities of Design. The accolade, awarded by international heritage body   UNESCO, recognises the contribution of the five cities to the worldwide design industry   – each the first in   their respective countries of the UK, Spain, Brazil, Finland and Italy to achieve the   designation. The museum collections will be housed in a metal-clad building designed by Kengo Kuma. Image courtesy of ShutterstockOnly   12 other cities, including Beijing, Berlin and Montréal currently hold the status. Image courtesy of ShutterstockEach of the cities has its own design schools and institutions – Bilbao is home to the Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum, Curitiba   is recognised by   UNESCO for its urban infrastructure and Helsinki and Turin have numerous architectural and natural   UNESCO World Heritage Sites including royal residencies and an 18th century military fortress. The   VA Museum of Design   is soon to open in Dundee. This image: Helsinki.