UNESCO Creative Cities
The Global Alliance's Creative Cities Network, a UNESCO program instituted in 2005, recognizes cities world-wide with reputations as centers of excellence in literature, film, music, crafts and folk art, design, media arts and gastronomy. The program is intended to help creative cities share ideas on preserving and enhancing their cultural programs. Needless to say, cities in this program can also be appealing travel destinations for the traveller interested in the cities' creative speciality (and other things as well). Current members of the Creative Cities Network are:
Africa
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aswan | Egypt | Crafts and Folk Art | 2005 | |
| Dakar | Senegal | Media Arts | 2014 |
Asia
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | China | Design | 2012 | |
| Busan | Republic of Korea | Film | 2014 | |
| Chengdu | China | Gastronomy | 2010 | |
| Gwangju | Republic of Korea | Media Arts | 2014 | |
| Hamamatsu | Japan | Music | 2014 | |
| Hangzhou | China | Crafts and Folk Art | 2012 | |
| Harbin | China | Music | 2010 | |
| Incheon | Republic of Korea | Crafts and Folk Art | 2010 | |
| Jeonju | Republic of Korea | Gastronomy | 2012 | |
| Jingdezhen | China | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Kanazawa | Japan | Crafts and Folk Art | 2009 | |
| Kobe | Japan | Design | 2008 | |
| Nagoya | Japan | Design | 2008 | |
| Pekalongan | Indonesia | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Seoul | Republic of Korea | Design | 2010 | |
| Shanghai | China | Design | 2010 | |
| Shenzhen | China | Design | 2008 | |
| Shunde | China | Gastronomy | 2014 | |
| Suzhou | China | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | Media Arts | 2014 | |
| Tsuruoka | Japan | Gastronomy | 2014 |
Europe
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | Germany | Design | 2005 | |
| Bilbao | Spain | Design | 2014 | |
| Bologna | Italy | Music | 2006 | |
| Bradford | United Kingdom | Film | 2009 | |
| Dublin | Ireland | Literature | 2010 | |
| Dundee | United Kingdom | Design | 2014 | |
| Edinburgh | United Kingdom | Literature | 2004 | |
| Galway | Ireland | Film | 2014 | |
| Ghent | Belgium | Music | 2009 | |
| Glasgow | United Kingdom | Music | 2008 | |
| Granada | Spain | Literature | 2014 | |
| Graz | Austria | Design | 2011 | |
| Hannover | Germany | Music | 2014 | |
| Heidelberg | Germany | Literature | 2014 | |
| Helsinki | Finland | Design | 2014 | |
| Linz | Austria | Media Arts | 2014 | |
| Lyon | France | Media Arts | 2008 | |
| Mannheim | Germany | Music | 2014 | |
| Norwich | United Kingdom | Literature | 2012 | |
| Östersund | Sweden | Gastronomy | 2010 | |
| Prague | Czech Republic | Literature | 2014 | |
| Saint-Etienne | France | Design | 2010 | |
| Seville | Spain | Music | 2006 | |
| Sofia | Bulgaria | Film | 2014 | |
| Turin | Italy | Design | 2014 | |
| York | United Kingdom | Media Arts | 2014 |
North America
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City | United States of America | Literature | 2008 | |
| Montreal | Canada | Design | 2006 | |
| Santa Fe | United States of America | Design, Crafts and Folk Art | 2005 |
Oceania
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | Australia | Literature | 2008 | |
| Sydney | Australia | Film | 2010 |
South America
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bogotá | Colombia | Music | 2012 | |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | Design | 2005 | |
| Curitiba | Brazil | Design | 2014 | |
| Florianopolis | Brazil | Gastronomy | 2014 | |
| Jacmel | Haiti | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Nassau | Bahamas | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 |