Dublin has been shortlisted along with Spain’s Bilbao and South Africa’s Cape Town for the World Design Capital (WDC) 2014 designation.
The capital was chosen from a list of 55 cities for the biennial award which is administered by the Montreal-based International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID).
The designation recognises a city’s use of design as “a catalyst for development and reinvention”.
The judging panel said the three cities "distinguished themselves" by demonstrating their individual approaches towards design.
Dublin’s bid, known as Pivot Dublin, focused on four themes: Connecting Cities, Making Cities Lighter, Making Cities Flow and Making Cities Smile, and took in work from some 30 of the city’s top designers and creative professionals.
Announcing the shortlist today, WDC organising committee member Martin Darbyshire said: “It was a difficult decision, but the WDC selection committee has shortlisted three incredibly well thought-out and all-together remarkable bids that have created unique competitive advantages for their cities through design.”
“These proposals have conveyed very workable and deliverable plans to use design as a means to reinvigorate their city’s social, cultural and economic development,” he added.
Dublin’s Lord Mayor Gerry Breen said: “Dublin is honoured to be one of three cities shortlisted for World Design Capital 2014.
“On behalf of Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils, I welcome the opportunities the World Design Capital project will give us. The project will be beneficial in economic, environmental, social and political terms. These are difficult times and this bid will challenge us to adapt, recover and grow,” he said.
A team of ICSID judges will conduct further inspections of the three shortlisted cities next month prior to the announcement of a winner in October.
