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10 YEARS OF CMD Buenos Aires has the privilege of being a city known for its history, culture and vitality. But its most distinctive feature is its people, the energy of its entrepreneurs who combine passion, creativity, and talent to constantly face new challenges and projects. Our role, from the government, is to open doors for all of them to grow, encouraging and channelling their energy and translating it into better quality of life for residents. From day one we have worked in that direction, stimulating the economic development of the City, promoting added value and generating jobs and opportunities for all. Design is, in that sense, a very powerful and tool for growth in Buenos Aires. So Buenos Aires was appointed as the 1st City of Design in the framework of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. With great satisfaction we completed, in October 2010, the construction of the building which houses the Metropolitan Design Centre (CMD), in the heart of Barracas. An area of over 14,000 m2 with which we promote the development of the southern districts, and mark a "before and after" in the City. In its ten years of action, the CMD has become a regional reference, fulfilling its main objective: to be the main public promoter of the economic and cultural importance of design. It is a great source of pride to present, through the pages of this book, the story of an iconic institution for the City of Buenos Aires. One aimed at achieving a better quality of life for people who live in, and pass through, it. Mauricio Macri Head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires
DESIGN, COMPETITIVENESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT One of the CMD's fundamental contributions to the local context is the installation of design as a key tool for promotion of the city's economic development. During these ten years, the contribution design makes to business growth, and to the generation of qualitative and quantitative benefits economically and socially was clearly elucidated. The CMD has been a key institution for the dissemination of this strategic vision and for the accompaniment of those organizations which decided to incorporate design as a driver of business. The intense work in communication, support, promotion and creation of spaces that the CMD has addressed are invaluable contributions in building a road which provides necessary importance to design and innovation in economic and cultural terms.
Buenos Aires Ciudad de Diseño Diez Años del CMD
The City of Buenos Aires stands as a pacesetter in Latin America, a status which makes the task of defining the necessary public policies for the sector even more important. It is in this sense that we decided to continue the CMD building project and even go further, betting on its growth. The first step was the inauguration of the complete work of the site, with the authorization of the use of its 14,000 m2 to accommodate existing programs and create new initiatives. The second step is the Design District Act to turn the area into a definitive territorial pole associated with design, creativity and innovation. The project aims at attracting and setting up SMEs, professionals, and entrepreneurs in the south of Buenos Aires who carry out production and service activities which make intensive use of design.
The City Government is leading this process by providing a public building with the necessary infrastructure to accompany and support this development, while developing some areas of the Barracas neighbourhood as zones free of municipal taxes for manufacturers and for services competing on the design business. The Design District is an important challenge. We hope to, along with other districts which already operate successfully, promote the involvement of all players in the local economic and social system, but especially to motivate businessmen, professionals and entrepreneurs to incorporate design both in practice and in their business strategy. We believe this can be an irreplaceable vector for improved business competitiveness and performance both within the country and in international markets. Francisco Cabrera Minister of Economic Development Government of the City of Buenos Aires
A CREATIVE CITY BY DESIGN A little more than ten years ago, the City of Buenos Aires created the Metropolitan Design Centre (CMD), and thus began the task of promoting design. The challenge has renewed and increased continuously, giving rise to ever more ambitious and innovative goals. As a result the CMD has positioned itself, both in Latin America and the world, as an indisputable pacesetter of public policy for development and study of design. Thanks to a sustained commitment to promoting design and the City of Buenos Aires' distinctive characteristics - a critical mass of talented professionals specialized in design; public investment; infrastructure; quantity and quality of local production; etc. - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) appointed Buenos Aires as the first City of Design within the program of the Creative Cities Network of the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity. This recognition has renewed existing commitment to work together with designers; entrepreneurs; and the community at large, convinced that beyond its obvious economic implications design is also an improvement factor for society as a whole. It contributes to the progress of the city, which raises the quality of life and general well-being, especially in these times, all sustainably. The CMD's mission focuses its efforts on coordinating the various participants of the entire value chain, with the objectives of introducing design into the production system and improving competitiveness. This discipline is understood as a rising and indispensable factor for businesses growth with their products and services satisfying requirements of users and customers. We are now proud to present our vision of design and how its incorporation can improve the local system, while sharing the strategic guidelines of our main lines of action with readers. Additionally, we have made a significant effort in compiling all actions carried out in this decade of work in which our vision has materialized. Thus, the book we offer reflects the memory of a pioneering and innovative institution, which we have the pleasure and privilege of continuing to enrich with multiple proposals and initiatives. We hope that our story becomes a motivation to join us in our journey. Enrique Avogadro Director General of Creative Industries and Design Government of the City of Buenos Aires