Since design starts to be recognized as a factor that is beneficial to culture (which it truly is!), probably many mayors may have raised the claim to be a »capital of design«. So did the mayor of Stockholm at the 2005 award ceremonies at the FutureDesignDays and also the mayor of Cologne at an award given by a big German bank in 2006. Also the UNESCO is partizipating: in January 2006 the international institution declared Berlin amongst Buenos Aires to be »City of Design« and so to participate in UNESCO’s »Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity«.

But now – fasten your seatbelts!. Tata… here it is: the first and only »World Design Capital«! This nomination is an idea of IDA. Who is IDA? Well – don’t mistake it for the Institute for Defense Analysis. »In a major step for the global design community, Icsid and Icograda have committed themselves to forming the collective voice of design through the creation of the IDA.« Sounds like somebody is bringing salvation (a major step) to the designers in the world: Icsid and Icograda aka IDA.

So what is a World Design Capital? »World Design Capital is a biennial global competition culminating in a year-long celebration of the role of design in improving the social, cultural and economic life of cities«, says the website of it all. A jury gives the title to a city that »have demonstrated progress using the varied tools of design.« The first city to host the new Biennale will be Torino in 2008.

Under the Leitmotiv »Flexibility« the year 2008 in Torino will be organized in four phases: Public Design, Economy and Design, Education and Design, Design Policies. The event will start already with the »New Year’s Eve of Design« in December 2007 where the city »will colour itself green« and will proceed throughout the year with awards like the already known »Compasso d’Oro«, an exhibition from Olivetti, a summer school or the exhition »Cars. Dreams and Reality«.

By far this doesn’t sound like a year-filling programme, but of course the preparations are still running. Surely Torino and the surrounding area of Piemonte offers big names in the design sector (like Alessi or Giugiaro/Italdesign) and many more in arts, industry and culture. The last Olympic Winter Games happened in Torino, there is the Castello di Rivoli, the FIAT plant and not to forget: an Italian lifestyle that is appreciated all over the globe.

ROGER is very excited if Torino will truly be a world design capital that is worthy of its name. We should not forget that it is Dr. Peter Zec who is president of the board of Icsid who is also producing the Red Dot Award which is rather a marketing price than a design award. Of course – even if World Design Capital it is a mere marketing campaign (by the way it costs € 5.000 just for entering and another € 15.000 if you are shortlisted) if could draw some attention on Design and on Torino. But »forming a collective voice of design« in a »major step for the global design community« means more than just doing intelligent advertising and pr. Above all exchange, debate, discussion and content is what such an ambitious project has to deliever.

ROGER is really excited about this huge project and will have a first look on the spot in Torino next week. There will be more information soon on this blog or in the paper printed magazin.