UNESCO has added 66 urban settlements, including 11 new Cities of Literature, to its Network of Creative Cities, which now totals 246 members. The network brings together cities that base their development on creativity, whether in music, arts and folk crafts, design, cinema, literature, digital arts or gastronomy. UNESCO creative cities commit to placing culture at the center of their development strategies and to share their best practices.
"All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy," said UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay. "This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations."
The newly named Cities of Literature are Angoulême (France), Beirut (Lebanon), Exeter (U.K.), Kuhmo (Finland), Lahore (Pakistan), Leeuwarden (Netherlands), Nanjing (China), Odessa (Ukraine), Slemani (Iraq), Wonju (Republic of Korea) and Wrocław (Poland).