---
title: Innovation
type: taxonomy_archive
taxonomy: post_tag
slug: innovation
term_id: 373
permalink: "https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/tag/innovation/"
post_count: 54
---

# Innovation

Posts in this archive: 54

- [5th World Cities Culture Report Reveals Culture Is Driving Urban Innovation Worldwide](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/launch-world-cities-culture-report-5th.md) — New report shows cultural participation is rebounding strongly, creative spaces are being protected, and the night-time economy has become a mainstream policy focus for global cities.
- [More Regional Trends](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/report/regional-cultural-policy-trends.md) — From Indigenous knowledge in Australasia to digital innovation in East Asia, cities are using culture to shape more inclusive, sustainable, and creative futures. Drawing on recent survey data and case study submissions from our cities, this section offers a snapshot of emerging cultural policy trends across regions.  While each region has its own distinctive priorities, common themes such as access to space, climate action, youth engagement, and equity, highlight the extent to which all major cities share similar challenges in defining tomorrow’s cultural landscape.
- [Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/report/sadiq-khan-world-cities-culture-report.md) — Foreword from Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and patron of World Cities Culture Forum, to the World Cities Culture Report: 5th Edition
- [Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director General for Culture, UNESCO](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/report/ernesto-ottone-world-cities-culture-report.md) — Foreword from Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director General for Culture at UNESCO, to the World Cities Culture Report: 5th Edition
- [Inclusive public art empowering unhoused creatives in Austin ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/art-for-all-austin-public-art-initiative-2.md) — Art for All is a public art initiative in Austin led by Raasin in the Sun and the City of Austin, offering paid creative opportunities to unhoused individuals. By transforming public spaces with community-driven murals, the programme promotes an inclusive culture and supports access to social services. Through mentorship, workshops, and storytelling, it fosters connection, skill-building, and financial stability – making public art more accessible for all while enriching Austin’s public realm strategy.
- [UNESCO Site: Restoring and safeguarding Beijing’s Central Axis](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/beijing-central-axis-cultural-policy-2.md) — In 2024, Beijing’s Central Axis was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marking a cultural policy milestone in China. This historic urban spine showcases imperial planning traditions and blends conservation science, regulatory reform, digital innovation, and civic participation. From volunteer patrols to interactive technology, the project has preserved centuries-old heritage while improving the districts along the Axis – reinforcing community engagement and promoting international cultural dialogue.
- [Ancient Made New: Beijing’s Intangible Cultural Heritage is at the heart of global exchange and tourism boost](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/beijing-intangible-cultural-heritage-policy-2.md) — Beijing is home to 447 intangible cultural heritage projects. Thirteen – including silk weaving, tea etiquette and shadow puppetry – are on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the most in China. Leveraging these unique cultural assets, Beijing launched the first International Week of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023;and opened the Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience Centre in 2024. Both have enabled Beijing to increase public engagement and boost inbound tourism.
- [Urban Renewal: Beijing’s cultural strategy transformed former industrial site into thriving Shougang Park ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/shougang-park-urban-renewal-2.md) — On the outskirts of the capital, Beijing’s cultural strategy has transformed a vast 863 hectares steel production site into a unique visitor destination, positioning Shougang Park as a model for urban development, and industrial heritage revitalisation. By capitalising on the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing repurposed Shougang Park’s industry structures – like blast furnaces and cooling towers – into thriving ecological, cultural and recreational spaces that boosted tourism and the night time economy.
- [Cultural Resilience: Three ways Kyiv is supporting culture during conflict](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/cultural-resilience-three-ways-kyiv-is-supporting-culture-during-conflict.md)
- [Cultural Olympiad: Joint Los Angeles-Paris poster competition strengthens Olympic values and culture](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/los-angeles-2024-paris-cultural-olympiad-poster-competition.md) — The 2024 Paris Cultural Olympiad Poster Competition connected art students from Paris and Los Angeles in a cross-city collaboration that celebrates Olympic values, civic engagement, and cultural diplomacy. Organised by the City of Paris and LA County’s Department of Arts and Culture, the project supported emerging artists, created international exposure, and informed cultural programming for the 2028 LA Olympic Games through poster and animation design exhibited globally.
- [How Nanjing brings classical literature to life through immersive experience ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/literary-heritage-how-nanjing-brings-classical-literature-to-life-through-immersive-experience.md) — Nanjing’s immersive adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber redefines how traditional literary IP can engage modern audiences. Debuting in July 2024, this digitally driven exhibition attracted over 10,000 visitors and generated more than one million RMB, while sparking renewed interest in Chinese literary heritage among youth. By blending immersive tech with cultural storytelling, the project exemplifies how cities can make classical literature relevant for new generations.
- [Catalysing Creativity: How Oslo is distributing targeted cultural funding to activate urban life and drive innovation in the arts](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/catalyzing-creativity-how-oslo-is-distributing-targeted-cultural-funding-to-activate-urban-life-and-drive-innovation-in-the-arts.md) — To strengthen cultural vibrancy and inclusivity, Oslo has expanded its municipal grant schemes, supporting grassroots creativity, public space activation, and cultural innovation. In 2025, NOK  399 million will be distributed across arts and culture, in addition to initiatives like the Bylivstilskudd urban life grants funding both large festivals and small-scale projects. Innovation grants also back experimental work, including collaborations with business and tech sectors. These schemes place culture at the centre of Oslo’s evolving urban identity
- [A Place Becoming: Anchoring community amid urban change in Oslo](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/oslo-mortensrud-anchoring-communities-with-art-amid-urban-change.md) — As Oslo grows rapidly, the city’s public art strategy ensures new developments reflect the identity and voices of existing communities.  In Mortensrud, for instance, artists collaborated with residents to embed local histories into redevelopment.  Projects such as Last Station Mortensrud and Together We Can Move Mountains use photography, performance, and digital art to honour everyday life and lost landmarks. The approach fosters dialogue, preserves memory, and places cultural heritage at the centre of urban change.
- [Library Lab: Stockholm using UX methods to improve libraries](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/stockholm-library-lab.md) — To deepen cultural participation, Stockholm City Library has embedded user experience (UX) methods into daily practice across its 40 branches. At the Library Lab in Liljeholmen, launched in 2024 as a four-year experiment, staff use agile, user-led sprints to co-design future library services with local residents. From parent breakfasts to youth-led space redesigns, the Lab gathers insights to inform a major new library. The initiative has become a model for inclusive, needs-driven cultural infrastructure.
- [Helsinki’s new museum for sustainable architecture and inclusive Nordic design](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/architecture-and-design-museum-helsinki.md) — The new Architecture and Design Museum in Helsinki will open in 2030, uniting two legacy institutions into a sustainable, inclusive, and globally significant cultural hub. Located in the city’s historic South Harbour, the museum will showcase Nordic design, support professional development, and foster public engagement. It reflects Helsinki’s strategic investment in cultural infrastructure and positions the city as a global leader in sustainable architecture and creative placemaking.
- [A New Era for Vienna’s City Museum](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/wien-museum-vienna.md) — Reopened in 2023 after a major city-funded renovation, the Wien Museum blends architectural preservation with bold expansion. A ‘floating’ concrete cube adds two new floors of exhibition space, while geothermal systems, solar panels, and inclusive design signal a commitment to sustainability and access. Operated by the Museums of the City of Vienna, the project drew on over a decade of public dialogue. Since reopening, the museum has become one of Vienna’s most popular cultural destinations, also earning the Austrian Eco-Label for sustainability
- [Culture Summer Vienna: Making summer culture accessible to all in Vienna ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/vienna-kultursommer-wien.md) — Kultursommer Wien (‘Culture Summer Vienna’) is a city-funded open-air festival offering free, high-quality performances across Vienna’s neighbourhoods. With a EUR 4 million annual budget, it supports fair pay for artists and promotes inclusion through sign language interpreters, induction loops, and decentralised venues—particularly in outer districts. Attracting over 86,000 visitors in 2024, the festival fosters community connection and cultural diversity, becoming a summer staple that brings the city’s creative spirit into public space.
- [Preserving film culture in Zürich through The Cinematic Campus](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/zurich.md) — Launched in 2023 by Filmpodium and the University of Zürich, The Cinematic Campus brings film studies students and the wider public back into the cinema. Through live lectures followed by screenings in a professional theatre, the project bridges academic learning and cinematic experience, countering the isolating effects of digital streaming. Free and open to all, the programme revitalises Zürich’s film culture while encouraging dialogue, critical thinking, and cross-generational learning through the power of cinema
- [Barcelona’s Night Commissioner Alcaldessa de Nit](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/barcelona-night-commissioner-acaldessa-de-nit.md) — In early 2025, Barcelona City Council appointed its first Alcaldessa de Nit (Night Commissioner), aligning the city with international best practice in night-time governance and positioning it as the first municipality in Spain to adopt this model.
- [Barcelona's Creative Factories Fàbriques de Creació](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/barcelona-fabriques-de-creacio-creative-factories.md) — The Fàbriques de Creació (Creative Factories) programme is a pioneering initiative of the Barcelona City Council’s Department of Culture (ICUB). Since 2007, it has transformed over 11 disused industrial buildings into 30,000 m² of inclusive, affordable and multidisciplinary spaces for artistic creation, research, production, and public presentation
- [How Dublin used culture to strategically boost its nightlife ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/dublin-night-time-economy-strategy-2.md) — In 2024, Dublin launched a new Night-Time Economy Strategy to reimagine nightlife as a key pillar of civic and cultural life. Led by the city’s first Night-Time Economy Adviser, the plan expands late-night cultural programming, enhances transport, and improves safety. With flagship events like Dublin By Night Fest and St. Patrick’s After Dark, the strategy promotes inclusive and vibrant after-dark engagement while piloting welfare services and safer city experiences.
- [One Dublin, One Book brings the city together through literature](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/one-dublin-one-book-2.md) — Every April since 2005, Dublin residents have been encouraged to read the same book either written by a Dubliner or connected with the capital city, through the One Dublin, One Book campaign. To mark the 20th year of this mass cultural participation event, Dublin City Council and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature commissioned an anthology of 22 poets and writers to capture Dublin in the first quarter of the century.
- [Delivering sustainable artist workspaces in Dublin](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/dublin-space-to-create-artist-workspaces-2.md) — Dublin City Council’s Space to Create programme responds to a critical shortage of artist workspaces by refurbishing vacant buildings into long-term, affordable studios. With €9.5 million in funding from the City Council, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and philanthropy, the initiative will deliver 40 workspaces by 2027. The first site at Artane Place highlights a model of cultural infrastructure driven by local engagement, sustainability, and inclusive cultural policy.
- [Cultural Participation: How the London Borough of Culture made art accessible to all ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/waltham-forest-london-borough-of-culture.md) — The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture programme offers a borough of the capital £1.35 million to stage a year of cultural initiatives and better integrate culture in their borough. Waltham Forest was the first ever London Borough of Culture in 2019. After 1,000 events that attracted 500,000 people and £4.1 million locally, the borough has created a new Creative Enterprise Zone for artists and a new Cultural Quarter for visitors.
- [Brussels by Night Enhancing safety for all](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/brussels-by-night-city-safety-strategy-2.md) — Launched in 2022, Brussels By Night demonstrates how city governments can transform nightlife safety through strategic partnerships with venue operators and city partners. Deploying incident response care teams at nighttime events, open air festivals and in nightlife districts has also helped prevent and manage gender-based and sexual violence, as well as drug and alcohol related incidents – while preserving vibrant nightlife culture and creating a safer nighttime economy.
- [Public Artists in Residence: Embedding creativity in New York City government ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/nyc-pair-public-artists-in-residence.md) — New York City’s Public Artists in Residence (PAIR) programme embeds artists within city agencies to address urgent civic issues through creative collaboration. Launched in 2015, the initiative has tackled challenges such as racial equity, discrimination, and youth detention by integrating artistic thinking into public policy. With residencies spanning city departments, PAIR helps generate innovative solutions, strengthen community engagement, and reimagine the role of art in public service and city governance.
- [World Cities Culture Trends Report 2025 ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/publication/world-cities-culture-trends-report-2025.md) — The World Cities Culture Trends Report 2025 highlights ten emerging trends in global cultural policy, showcasing how cities are using cultural solutions to tackle urban challenges. This report builds on insights from our cities and discussions at the World Cities Culture Summit 2024, hosted by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority under the theme:  “Tomorrow’s Culture: How Will the Next Generation Shape Our World?”
- [Nanjing's immersive experiences usher in a new era for cultural heritage](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/nanjings-immersive-experiences-usher-in-a-new-era-for-cultural-heritage.md) — How the city of Nanjing is accelerating using new digital technologies to enhance and market cultural heritage, helping to increase revenue and facilitate the integration of culture and tourism.
- [City of Johannesburg reflects on THE SÃO PAULO SUMMIT 2023](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/city-of-johannesburg-reflects-on-world-cities-culture-summit-2023.md)
- [In action: the Leadership Exchange Programme](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/publication/in-action-the-leadership-exchange-programme.md) — Since 2018, the World Cities Culture Forum Leadership Exchange Programme has been supporting cities to share innovative solutions to complex cultural policy challenges. Through a series of eleven exchanges the programme has funded cities to visit each other and gain in depth knowledge about different approaches shared issues, such as supporting affordable creative workspace, reconciling with indigenous communities and protecting culture at risk.
- [Reclaiming Sydney's lost creative space: a blueprint for recovery](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/sydney-making-space-for-culture.md) — In August 2021, Left Bank Co launched the Making Space for Culture Incubator Program – free professional development open to a diverse group of property developers and creative and cultural organisations.
- [Is collaborative grantmaking the key to equitable funding in Vancouver?](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/advance-equitable-accessible-funding-leadership-organizational-practices.md) — The Grants and Awards team piloted a dedicated Cultural Equity Grants program, an invitation based, noncompetitive process for multi-year grants to support greater equity for the arts and culture sector.
- [From traffic jams to tranquil walkways: Oslo's blueprint for sustainable urban living](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/car-free-liveability-programme-a-step-towards-the-city-centre-of-the-future.md)
- [Cultura do Amanhã: Rio embraces technological change while honouring its heritage](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/cultura-do-amanha.md) — The Cultura do Amanhã program is an initiative led by the Municipal Secretary of Culture of Rio de Janeiro, which is responsible for the management of various municipal cultural facilities, such as museums,
theaters, libraries and cultural centers, and the promotion of cultural activities.
- [How Guangzhou Cultural Industry Fair has transformed the city's creative landscape](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/guangzhou-cultural-industry-fair.md) — Guangzhou is focused on building its international reputation and strengthening its vibrant creative industries. Since 2017, it has hosted the Guangzhou Cultural Industry Fair, integrating existing resources and promoting high quality cultural projects and products.
- [Art avenues to a more equitable Chicago: 'We Will Chicago' unveiled](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/we-will-chicago-citywide-planning-process.md) — A ten year framework to enhance citywide equity and resiliency, the "We Will Chicago" plan includes approximately 40 goals and 150 objectives to improve Chicagoans' lives, especially individuals impacted by inequities in health, economic stability, neighborhood livability, and other systemic issues
- [Montréal's hyperlocal cultural policy keeps an eye on the big picture](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/cultural-neighbourhoods.md)
- [The future of equitable funding: Arts Workforce Empowerment (AWE) as a model for change](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/arts-workforce-empowerment-awe-grant-programme.md) — The AWE grant programme provides targeted support for staff salaries at minority-defined DCA grantee organisations. AWE grants are targeted at organisations whose mission and programming serves a population specifically impacted by poverty, as well as other systemic discriminations, and are embedded in their community.
- [From vandalism to legitimate art: Lisbon's inspiring transformation](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/lisbon-urban-art-gallery.md) — Urban Art Gallery aims to continue to expand street art’s reach throughout the city, giving street artists more spaces to work.
- [A win-win initiative: how Hong Kong's schools are becoming art spaces](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/hong-kong-arts-in-school-partnership-scheme.md) — The Arts-in-School Partnership Scheme aims to foster collaboration between local arts organisations/artists and schools by encouraging school operators to lease their premises and facilities to arts organisations and artists for artistic creation and production.
- [Why equity-based reforms will reshape New York's cultural landscape](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/new-york-cultural-development-fund.md) — In 2018, building on recommendations from the CreateNYC cultural plan, the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs launched a comprehensive strategic evaluation and review of its Cultural Development Fund (CDF), the landmark cultural grant programme administered by the city.
- [Saving the planet one prop at a time: Stockholm's material magasinet's challenge](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/stockholm-material-magasinet.md) — Stockholm’s Material Magasinet (Material Storehouse) is attempting to address the excess of waste produced by cultural sector activity. The storehouse is diverting tonnes of material waste from landfills by giving cultural organisations a place to donate, reuse and upcycle materials, props and furniture.
- [Culture meets curriculum: Taipei's path to creative learning](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/teipei-the-art-education-in-depth-programme.md) — Taipei City Government is committed to nurturing creative industries in the city, but for a long time the arts were poorly integrated into children’s education.
- [How Barcelona is pioneering new cultural policy by embedding cultural rights](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/cultural-rights-nurturing-cultural-grassroots.md) — Barcelona is pioneering cultural policy in its cultural sector and promoting the right to produce and access culture freely across the city. 
- [Fuelling Edinburgh's artistic fire: how Edinburgh is meeting artist's needs](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/creating-edinburgh-performing-arts-development-epad.md) — Edinburgh's performers lacked a community network to enable them to share knowledge and support each other. A council funded programme is connecting the city's artists and helping them to fullfll their potential.
- [Chengdu's path to prosperity: making cultural financing accessible](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/innovative-cultural-financing-boost-to-both-economies.md) — An innovative capital fund created to support creative thinking in Chengdu's cultural and financial industries.
- [Closing the digital divide: Stockholm's innovative arts education initiative](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/kulturskolan-stockholm-a-digital-school-of-the-arts.md) — Addressing the new for digital equity with arts education, EKulturskolan Stockholm is extending the digital arts education offering for younger residents.
- [Can a festival define a city's spirit? A look at the success of 'Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13'](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/tokyo-festival-special-13.md) — Adapted in the face of the pandemic, thirteen extraordinary projects to celebrate the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games 2020.
- [From trash to treasure: how cultural venues in Paris are embracing the circular economy](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/circular-economy-and-the-cultural-sector.md)
- [Lights, camera, emissions: Oslo's art sector tackles carbon footprints](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/green-producers-tool.md) — To create a carbon and climate footprint calculator, Oslo's arts production entities partnered with climate research specialists to create a carbon footprint calculator specifically designed for the sector.
- [Herzog & de Meuron elevated Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie to global prominence](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/elbphilharmonie-hamburg.md) — How Hamburg created landmark concert hall The Elbphilhamonie within an existing heritage building, creating a new iconic focal point for the city's cultural scene.
- [A look at how a Brazilian orchestra is bringing harmony to hospitals](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/health-concerts.md) — To alleviate the stress associated with hospital visits and improve wellbeing, live music is being brought to the hospitals of Brasília.
- [LAUNCH: WORLD CITIES CULTURE REPORT 2022](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/world-cities-culture-forum-report-2022.md) — The World Cities Culture Forum launches the World Cities Culture Report 2022 – the most comprehensive account of culture in cities documenting over 200 pioneering initiatives from across 40 global cities in 6 continents.
- [Culture Counts: Insights & Strategies in Evidence-Based Cultural Policies 2021](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/publication/culture-counts-new-approaches-to-evidence-based-cultural-policymaking-in-world-cities.md) — As we see advances in measurement, mapping and research techniques, discover how cities are embracing new approaches to evidence-based cultural policymaking.