Valencia will be the world capital of design in 2022. It will take over from France's Lille in this biennial initiative created by the World Design Organization (WDO), based in Canada.
The jury of this private entity, made up of designers, architects, interior designers and businessmen from many countries, has decided to go for Valencia over the other finalist, the Indian city of Bangalore, the fourth most populated metropolis in its country (with 4.5 million inhabitants), also known as the Garden City for its many trees and flowers. This will be the first time that a Spanish city will exercise the aforementioned capital status, after Bilbao's failed attempt in 2014.
The transversal programme of activities aimed at disseminating design as a key tool for improving communication, business products and life in general has been decisive in the choice of the Mediterranean city. Turin, Helsinki, Cape Town. Seoul, Taiwan and Mexico City, in the last edition of 2018, have been the previous capitals.
Valencia City Council and the Generalitat have set a budget of 4.5 million euros for the design capital programme, which will be developed over the next three years, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The entrepreneurial initiative has to take on a similar amount, as stipulated in the chosen candidacy and as marked by the WDO. The Marina of the Port of Valencia and its emblematic building, Velas y Vientos, designed by David Chipperfield in collaboration with Fermín Vázquez, will be one of the capital's nerve centres.
