Dublin, Cape Town and Bilbao vie for World Design Capital title

Bilbao, Cape Town and Dublin have been shortlisted in the bid to become World Design Capital 2014.

The cities have been selected by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, which will announce the winner in October.

This will be the fourth appointment of this biennial title, which recognises accomplishments in using design to develop and reinvent, while improving social, cultural and economic environments.

Martin Darbyshire, ICSID executive board member, says that the jury had selected ‘three incredibly well thought-out and altogether remarkable bids’.

He says, ‘These proposals have conveyed very workable and deliverable plans to use design as a means to reinvigorate their cityʼs social, cultural and economic development.’

It was also required that the cities demonstrate that they could realistically develop and implement a year-long programme of international design-related events promoting their city, and by illustrating how their citizens have benefitted from their city’s designs.

All the shortlisted cities also provided three visions for how design will continue to reinvent their urban landscape.

The next stage in the shortlisting involves city visits in July by members of the WDC organising committee, after which the winning city will be announced on 26 October during the 2011 International Design Alliance Congress in Taipei, Taiwan.

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