As of November 23 Saint-Étienne is the first French city and second European city to be designated as a "Design City" within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Saint-Étienne has made efforts to reinvent itself through design with the Cité du design and the International Design Biennale. The city’s vision and commitment towards progressive social change through sustainable design values were a determining factor in changing the image of this city and its cultural, social and economic development.
Other cities in the Network include: Buenos Aires (August 24, 2005), Berlin (November 2, 2005), Montreal (June 6, 2006), Nagoya (October 1, 2008), Kobe (October 1, 2008), Shenzhen (November 1, 2008), Shanghai (March 12, 2010), and Seoul (July - 20, 2010).