An ambitious ideas contest to help Dublin become the world’s design capital was unveiled today.
Suggestions are being sought by Dublin City Council on how to reinvent the city or rethink the way its people live and work.
The best entries will be put forward in a bid prepared over the next six months for Dublin to be named the World Design Capital 2014.
Lord Mayor Gerry Breen said ideas could involve architecture, graphic design, interaction, landscape, craft and furniture design.
“It would be an amazing achievement for Dublin to win this competition but, whatever happens, the overwhelming value will be found in the process of making the bid,” he said.
Dublin City Council has set up a website - www.pivotdublin.com - for people to submit ideas and suggest events.
“It will allow us to build the city’s design capacity and infrastructure and raise awareness of the potential of design to drive innovation, economic growth and communicate the value of good design,” said Mr Breen. “Cities that value and apply good design in the way they think, plan and act are better cities.”
Dublin is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Helsinki, in Finland, which has been designated World Design Capital 2012.
This year’s capital is Seoul, South Korea, while Turin in Italy won the inaugural title in 2008.
The winning city of the two-yearly event, organised by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, hosts a programme of events over the course of the year.
City architect Ali Grehan said making the bid was nearly as important as achieving the designation as it could help create lasting changes to the benefit of the city and country.
“Dublin is not recognised as a centre for world-class design - however, we have the ambition, imagination and resources to become one,” she said.