From 16 to 25 October 2017, Montréal, a UNESCO Creative City of Design, had the honour of hosting professionals from around the world as part of its very first World Design Summit. At the summit’s conclusion, an important declaration was adopted by many international organizations representing designers, architects, urban planners, and landscape architects. The declaration formalizes a common position around the use of design to resolve and overcome the huge economic, social, environmental, and social challenges, to achieve a more sustainable development.

The Montréal Design Declaration calls for action in nine areas: design advocacy, development of design metrics, development of design policies, development of design standards, enhancement of design education, responsive design, responsible design, vigilant design, and the recognition of design’s value by all stakeholders of civil society.

One of the key items of the Declaration integrates the collaboration with international efforts, including the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Montréal’s Bureau du design applauds this strong international mobilization – a historic moment in creating a policy position for design.