unesco & The Creative Cities network
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) founded the Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in 2004. Currently including 350 cities in over 100 countries, including nine in the USA, the UCCN is an association of urban areas around the world recognized for how they use cultural heritage and creativity as strategic factors for sustainable development. The network also supports designated cities in becoming hubs of creativity and cultural production, with increased opportunities for creators and improved public access to cultural products, and in exchanging knowledge and best practices with other Creative Cities. A city may apply to UNESCO for designation in one of seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. The designations are monitored and reviewed every four years.
The U.S. Creative Cities
UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy
The field of Gastronomy was introduced to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in 2005. The inaugural city was Popayan, Colombia. Currently, there are 49 designated Cities of Gastronomy.
Afyonkarahisar, Turkey | Alba, Italy | Arequipa, Peru | Belem, Brazil | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Bendigo, Australia | Bergamo, Italy | Bergen, Norway | Bohicon, Benin | Buenaventura, Colombia | Buraidah, Saudi Arabia | Burgos, Spain | Chengdu, China | Cochabamba, Bolivia | Denia, Spain | Ensenada, Mexico | Florianopolis, Brazil | Gazientep, Turkey | Hatay, Turkey | Huai’an, China | Hyderabad, India | Jeonju, South Korea | Kermanshah, Iran | Kuching, Malaysia | Lankaran, Azerbaijan | Launceston, Australia | Macao, China | Mérida, Mexico | Östersund, Sweden | Overstrand Hermanus, South Africa | Panama City, Panama | Paraty, Brazil | Parma, Italy | Phetchaburi, Thailand | Phuket, Thailand | Popayan, Colombia | Portoviejo, Ecuador | Rasht, Iran | Rouen, France | Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation | San Antonio, USA | Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal | Shunde, China | Tsuruoka, Japan | Thessaloniki, Greece | Tucson, USA | Usuki, Japan | Yangzhou, China | Zahle, Lebanon