This week Detroit became the first American city to be named a UNESCO City of Design, an honor that recognizes a city's design legacy and commitment to promote cultural and creative industries, joining a total of 116 cities in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
The application to UNESCO was put forth by DC3, a five-year-old network founded by Business Leaders for Michigan and committed to fostering creative fields in the state. It included a video by Emmy Award–winning filmmaker Stephen McGee that highlighted the city’s historic and present-day relationship with design.
“Detroit’s legacy of design is rich and includes Eames, Knoll, Bertoia, Diffrient, Rapson, Weese, Saarinen, Libeskind, Yamasaki, Kahn, Dow, Earle, and scores of others,” DC3 interim executive director Ellie Schneider told AD. “Design continues to play a significant role in our economy, and it was important that our application reflect our city’s contributions to the global design community, both historically and today.”
The city has been lauded as of late for its cultural renaissance (including by Architectural Digest), with companies like Shinola and a slew of new hotels, restaurants, and galleries returning focus to a city that was once the epicenter of American industrialism. A pride of place and a dedication to upholding this reputation make the future bright for Detroit—no doubt it will more than live up to UNESCO’s standards.
Take a look at AD’s guide to Detroit.
