The World Design Capital for 2012 is Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

The World Design Capital, an initiative of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, celebrates the accomplishments of cities that have used design as a tool to reinvent themselves and their urban spaces to improve social, cultural and economic life.

With more than half the world’s population now living in urban areas, design has become an increasingly fundamental tool to make cities more competitive, attractive, liveable and efficient. The Finnish capital is undergoing the busiest phase of development in the city’s history – whole new districts are emerging in sites vacated from harbours and other industrial uses.

“For us, openness equals transparency, global responsibility and innovation. Usability, sustainability and desirability. That is what we are looking for. We design for a better life.”

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