Subsidies totaling NT$14.31 million (US$478,660) were awarded to 21 design projects July 7 as part of preparations for Taipei City’s 2016 World Design Capital designation, according to the local government’s Department of Culture.
Spanning citizen involvement in the design process, community participation and urban design, the 21 winners were selected from 41 projects considered for the second design subsidy scheme.
“This is one of the 16 core design-related projects aimed at transforming the cityscape and boosting civic participation leading up to the main event in 2016,” the DOC said. “The objective is to make design in the public sphere more people-oriented, with an eye to enhancing Taipei’s design industry.”
The winning projects include a pedestrian overpass enhanced with light-emitting diode, or LED, panels and interactive multimedia arts; a proposal by Tatung University to transform nearby Qingguang Market into a tourist attraction by creating murals on the roll-down shop shutters; and an international exchange program seeking to create design-informed food stalls and newspaper stands on street corners.
Each of the 21 projects will obtain a grant of up to NT$1.8 million under the scheme, according to the DOC.
Taipei was named 2016 World Design Capital by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design in March this year.
In preparation for the event, the city government aims to use design to improve the urban environment, as well as its social, economic and cultural development. The event is also expected to bolster the city’s tourism sector and international profile.
