Five cities – Dundee, Bilbao, Curitiba, Helsinki and Turin – have been designated UNESCO Cities of Design for their significant contributions to the international design industry.

City of Design status, only previously awarded to 12 other cities, recognises significant input to the worldwide design industry and aims to foster the development of local creative industries. It also aims to build relationships between fellow Cities of Design, in areas such as architecture, interaction design and sustainability design.

Of those picked, each city has its own design school and institution. The V&A Museum of Design is soon to open in Dundee, Bilbao is home to Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, Curitiba is recognised by UNESCO for its urban infrastructure, while Helsinki and Turin both have numerous architectural and natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Other cities awarded the City of Design status by the UN's cultural arm include Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Seoul, Nagoya and Saint-Etienne. Each of the newly-announced cities are the first in their respective countries to receive the distinction.