64 Cities Join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network

1 November 2017

64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by Director-General, Irina Bokova. They join a Network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network attracts growing interest from local authorities.

These new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network

Irina Bokova, Director-General

She added “The cooperation framework proposed to foster candidate cities from the Africa region – a UNESCO Global Priority – has been a true success with 9 African cities now joining the Network.”

The new 64 UNESCO Creative Cities are:
• Alba (Italy) – Gastronomy
• Almaty (Kazakhstan) – Music
• Amarante (Portugal) – Music
• Auckland (New Zealand) – Music
• Baguio City (Philippines) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Barcelos (Portugal) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Braga (Portugal) – Media Arts
• Brasilia (Brazil) – Design
• Bristol (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Film
• Brno (Czechia) – Music
• Bucheon (Republic of Korea) – Literature
• Buenaventura (Colombia) – Gastronomy
• Cairo (Egypt) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Cape Town (South Africa) – Design
• Carrara (Italy) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Changsha (China) – Media Arts
• Chennai (India) – Music
• Chiang Mai (Thailand) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Chordeleg (Ecuador) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Cochabamba (Bolivia [Plurinational State of]) – Gastronomy
• Daegu Metropolitan City (Republic of Korea) – Music
• Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – Design
• Durban (South Africa) – Literature
• Frutillar (Chile) – Music
• Gabrovo (Bulgaria) – Crafts and Folk Art
• [City of] Greater Geelong (Australia) – Design
• Guadalajara (Mexico) – Media Arts
• Hatay Metropolitan Municipality (Turkey) – Gastronomy
• Istanbul (Turkey) – Design
• João Pessoa (Brazil) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Kansas City (United States of America) – Music
• Kolding (Denmark) – Design
• Kortrijk (Belgium) – Design
• Košice (Slovakia) – Media Arts
• Kütahya (Turkey) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Lillehammer (Norway) – Literature
• Limoges (France) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Łódź (Poland) – Film
• Macao Special Administrative Region, China (Associate Member, UNESCO) – Gastronomy
• Madaba (Jordan) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Manchester (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Literature
• Mexico City (Mexico) – Design
• Milan (Italy) – Literature
• Morelia (Mexico) – Music
• Norrköping (Sweden) – Music
• Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Panama City (Panama) – Gastronomy
• Paraty (Brazil) – Gastronomy
• Pesaro (Italy) – Music
• Porto-Novo (Benin) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Praia (Cabo Verde) – Music
• Qingdao (China) – Film
• Québec City (Canada) – Literature
• San Antonio (United States of America) – Gastronomy
• Seattle (United States of America) – Literature
• Sheki (Azerbaijan) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Sokodé (Togo) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Terrassa (Spain) – Film
• Tétouan (Morocco) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Toronto (Canada) – Media Arts
• Tunis (Tunisia) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Utrecht (Netherlands) – Literature
• Wuhan (China) – Design
• Yamagata City (Japan) – Film

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries.

While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies.

Within the framework of the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, the Network provides a platform for cities to demonstrate culture’s role as an enabler for building sustainable cities.