Substantial expansion in UNESCO Creative Cities Network announced

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network has grown by 37%. In October 2019, 66 new cities have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities, bringing the total to 246 cities. As laboratories of ideas and innovative practices, the UNESCO Creative Cities bring a tangible contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through innovative thinking and action. Through their commitment, cities are championing sustainable development actions that directly benefit communities at urban level.

“All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” says UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “This favours political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations.”

Among the new 66 UNESCO Creative Cities in Asia and Europe are:

Ambon (Indonesia) – Music
Angoulême (France) – Literature
Asahikawa (Japan) – Design
Ballarat (Australia) – Crafts and Folk Art
Bangkok (Thailand) – Design
Bendigo (Australia) – Gastronomy
Bergamo (Italy) – Gastronomy
Biella (Italy) – Crafts and Folk Art
Caldas da Rainha (Portugal) – Crafts and Folk Art
Cebu City (Philippines) – Design
Exeter (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Literature
Hanoi (Vietnam) – Design
Hyderabad (India) – Gastronomy
Jinju (Republic of Korea) – Crafts and Folk Art
Kargopol (Russian Federation) – Crafts and Folk Art
Karlsruhe (Germany) – Media Arts
Kazan (Russian Federation) – Music
Kuhmo (Finland) – Literature
Lahore (Pakistan) – Literature
Leeuwarden (Netherlands) – Literature
Leiria (Portugal) – Music
Lliria (Spain) – Music
Metz (France) – Music
Mumbai (India) – Film
Nanjing (China) – Literature
Potsdam (Germany) – Film
Sukhothai (Thailand) – Crafts and Folk Art
Valladolid (Spain) – Film
Veszprém (Hungary) – Music
Viborg (Denmark) – Media Arts
Viljandi (Estonia) – Crafts and Folk Art
Wellington (New Zealand) – Film
Wonju (Republic of Korea) – Literature
Wrocław (Poland) – Literature
Yangzhou (China) – Gastronomy

This year's designations increased the number of creative cities in the network by over a third.

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities.

The member cities that form part of the Network come from all continents and regions with different income levels and populations. They work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.