UNESCO Network

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was first set up in 2004 to promote cooperation with and between those cities that view creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.

Its purpose is to create a link between cities that are prepared to support and encompass cultural creativity as an essential element of their economic development, by offering local operators an international platform that can provide a focus for the city’s creative energy, thus laying the foundations to ensure that local projects and ideas can find their feet in a global context, a new way of promoting the very concept of a culture industry.

Seven areas have been identified that match the various cultural sectors: Music, Literature, Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Media Arts, Food and Film.

The cities share their various experiences and provide mutual support, exploiting their respective capacities and thus increasing the presence of their own cultural products on national and international markets.

Up to know 180 cities in 72 different countries have become members of UCCN.

Italy has 8 cities that are now part of the Network:

The Italian cities have formed a national coordination department headed by Bologna.