On the event of World Cities Day on 31st October, UNESCO released a list of 55 new cities that join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Among them, Kozhikode becomes the first Indian city to be accorded the status of a Creative City of Literature. Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh is the other city on the list to bag the tag of the Creative City of Music.
These cities were acknowledged “for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning,” read UNESCO’s press release.
“The cities in our Creative Cities Network are leading the way when it comes to enhancing access to culture and galvanizing the power of creativity for urban resilience and development,” says Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.
With the latest additions, the Network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.
