UNESCO City of Design

Being a UNESCO City of Design, the city of Graz aims at promoting the city-wide urban development with the help of design and as far as contents are concerned commits itself to the Sustainable Development Goals of UNESCO, which all Cities of Design approve. The UNESCO title must be considered a mission and investment in the future development of the city, in which creativity, as a major resource, constitutes a prerequisite for intelligent design processes. Design is regarded a comprehensive design process that affects all disciplines and phases of the development of products, processes and services. Design must not be reduced to a mere aesthetical factor, but being an essential element, it should become visible and noticeable in all areas of life, in order to make people’s environment and daily life easier and livable. According to the motto ‘better design for a better life’, we focus on the human being as the center of our concept of design

Since the successfully processed application, Creative Industries Styria has been supporting the content-related development of the city of Graz as a UNESCO City of Design. The membership in the Creative Cities network of UNESCO as a City of Design is based on a conscious strategic decision of the city. For this purpose, there is a dedicated department – the City of Design Coordination Office – at the Mayor’s office building. In terms of operative and conception topics, the Coordination Office cooperates with the networking organization Creative Industries Styria, that, due to their, designated, know-how, functions as a competence center for design and as driving force for the city of Graz. In accordance to the urban economic strategy, the topic of City of Design is also supported by the manifold activities of the Department of Development of Economy and Tourism.

Creative Industries Styria represents Graz in the UNESCO Creative Cities network in a professional and contextual way and deals with the topic of international relations, in coordination with the relevant authorities within the city. They are the network hub for the creative community of members of UNESCO Creative Cities and a bridge between local creative professionals and companies in the international network.

Currently, the constantly expanding network is comprising 350 UNESCO Creative Cities, among them 49 Cities of Design. Being a member of UNESCO’s network, as a City of Design Graz has entered a commitment to networking; enabling opportunities that provide a locational advantage and are an essential asset for the city and the entire Styrian region.

www.cityofdesign.graz.at
www.designcities.net
UNESCO creative cities