From Culture to design

Named a European Capital of Culture in 2004, Lille has expanded its international profile with its brand new status as World Design Capital 2020. Shortlisted with Australia’s Sydney, by the World Design Organization (WDO) last July, Lille now becomes the first French city to win the title and only the seventh worldwide, after Turin, Italy in 2008; Seoul, South Korea in 2010; Helsinki, Finland in 2012; Cape Town, South Africa in 2014; Taipei, Taiwan in 2016; and Mexico City, Mexico in 2018.

Winning proposal

Greater Lille triumphed over its international competitors by submitting an innovative proposal with long-term impact, winning over the jury with a proposal that makes design an engine of change in every aspect of the city’s life—economic, social, cultural, environmental and developmental. During its two-year reign as World Design Capital, Greater Lille plans to organize four events around three essential questions: What is design? How has design transformed our society and our region? How can we continue to use feedback from worldwide best practices to make our region the best it can be? To provide overall coordination for the project, Lille is creating the first Republic of Design, a wide-ranging consortium of stakeholders including anthropologists, sociologists, private citizens, urban planners, community leaders and more. Its mission: spark ideas that can make the transition from proofs of concept to projects that can be tested and used as models.