Busan is good

Mayor Park Heong-joon Declares “City Design Created Together with Citizens” at the World Design Congress

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on September 10 at 4:00 p.m. local time, at the Barbican Centre in London, United Kingdom, the city was officially designated as the World Design Capital (WDC) 2028 during the World Design Congress.

The World Design Capital is an international program initiated in 2008 by the World Design Organization, which biennially selects a city that demonstrates leadership in driving social, cultural, and economic development through design.

A city selected as the World Design Capital carries out a wide range of design projects throughout the year, using the entire city as its stage to promote sustainable urban development.

With this designation, Busan becomes the second city in Korea and the eleventh city in the world to receive the title of World Design Capital, a significant milestone that acknowledges the city’s international design capabilities.

Following the official designation, Mayor Park Heong-joon delivered the acceptance speech for World Design Capital 2028 Busan, stating, “The key to opening Busan’s future lies in urban design. It is not merely about changing the city’s outward appearance but about shaping the way we think and live. We will address diverse social challenges through design-based policies.”

He went on to proclaim the theme of World Design Capital 2028 Busan—“Inclusive City, Engaged Design”—noting, “Design is no longer the exclusive domain of professionals. In Busan, every citizen, from children to the elderly, including persons with disabilities and immigrants, takes an active role in creating the city’s design. Busan will demonstrate how design can transform human lives and guide the world in a better direction.”

Moving forward, the city will establish an operational system befitting its status as an officially designated World Design Capital and prepare sustainable implementation strategies based on public-private cooperation. Beginning in 2026, it will launch design-driven transformations and citizen-participatory projects across the entire city in earnest.

Mayor Park concluded, “This designation as World Design Capital is not just an honorary title or a one-time accolade. It will serve as a turning point for innovative change and development in both the quality of life of our citizens and multiple aspects of our city. Through design thinking and its implementation, we will transform into an inclusive international design hub city.”