Call for World Design Capital 2016 Applications

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) invites design-driven cities to bid for the World Design Capital (WDC) 2016 designation. Applications are currently being accepted following the official opening of the 2016 bidding process on 29 November 2012.

The World Design Capital, a biennial designation awarded to cities in recognition of design achievements for city promotion and development, embarks on its fifth cycle with the 2016 designation. Since its inception by Icsid in 2005, the WDC has increased in stature to become what is a highly coveted global title, garnering expressions of interest from every region in the world, and fostering citizen pride in the design accomplishments of WDC-designated cities.

“Icsid initiated the World Design Capital to help design-driven cities continue the use of design to further their social, economic and cultural development,” says Icsid President Soon-in Lee. “Icsid takes great pride in the growth of the WDC movement, reaching all parts of the world and diverse sectors of the community and is excited to build further on the WDC legacy through the 2016 designation.”

Cities are encouraged to visit the World Design Capital website at www.worlddesigncapital.com for further information on how to compile and submit their bids, as well as to download the 2016 application form. In support of the bidding process, the new ‘Becoming a WDC’ manual is also now available for download on the website, providing helpful background information on the programme, such as the organisational structure of the WDC, the application and project cycle and an outline of the WDC Signature Events.

“As the WDC movement continues to spark increasing global interest, Icsid receives a growing number of enquiries about the initiative, from how to start a WDC bid, to what the process is in developing a programme of events,” Icsid Secretary General Dilki de Silva states. “The ‘Becoming a WDC’ manual is a comprehensive tool that provides answers to some of the most key questions about the WDC, giving further clarity on the bidding process and providing useful support to cities as they start to develop their bids”.

Applications are being accepted from cities until 30 April 2013, with the World Design Capital 2016 city to be announced at the International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress in Istanbul (Turkey) in November 2013.