In today’s interconnected world, culture's power to transformsocieties is clear. Its diverse manifestations – from our cherished historicmonuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary art forms –enrich our everyday lives in countless ways. Heritage constitutes a source ofidentity and cohesion for communities disrupted by bewildering change andeconomic instability. Creativity contributes to building open, inclusive andpluralistic societies. Both heritage and creativity lay the foundations forvibrant, innovative and prosperous knowledge societies.

　　What is culture? Culture is who we are and what shapes ouridentity. No development can be sustainable without including culture. UNESCOensures that the role of culture is recognized through a majority of theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those focusing on qualityeducation, sustainable cities, the environment, economic growth, sustainableconsumption and production patterns, peaceful and inclusive societies, genderequality and food security. UNESCO is convinced that no development can besustainable without a strong culture component.

　　To ensure that culture takes its rightful place in developmentstrategies and processes, UNESCO has adopted a three-pronged approach: itspearheads worldwide advocacy for culture and development, while engaging withthe international community to set clear policies and legal frameworks andworking on the ground to support governments and local stakeholders tosafeguard heritage, strengthen creative industries and encourage cultural pluralism.

　　Today, creativity is emerging as one of the most promisingavenues for changing how we see cities. Whether by revitalizing the localeconomy, rethinking transport or housing policies, reclaiming urban spaces, oropening up new horizons for young people, creativity is one of the drivingforces behind urban policies and initiatives. Cities worldwide are focusingtheir attention on the cultural and creative industries as an inspiration fortheir future.

　　This vision is promoted by elected representatives and citypolicy-makers, who see it as a strategic lever for innovation when it comes totackling contemporary urban issues, whether on an economic, social orenvironmental front. More importantly, however, it is a vision shared by professionalsand citizens, who are taking action in their own neighborhoods and communitiesto build more sustainable and more human cities.

　　This vision of creative urban governance is the driving forcebehind the UNESCO Creative Cities Programme and Network (联合国教科文组织创意城市网络). Since its creation in 2004,the Network has established itself as a strategic platform for promoting andsharing this new approach to sustainable cities. Through its standard-settingand operational actions, UNESCO has paved the way for demonstrating theessential role of creativity in urban sustainability, assisting national andlocal authorities and advocating this vision at an international level.

　　Culture and creativity play a key role in sustainable urbandevelopment. They contribute to diversifying the economy and generating jobsbut they also enhance the quality of life of citizens by participating to acity’s social structure and cultural diversity.

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　　在今天这个相互关联的世界里，文化改变社会的力量是显而易见的。它多样的表现形式——从我们珍视的历史遗迹和博物馆到传统习俗和当代艺术形式——以无数方式丰富了我们的日常生活。遗产是被令人困惑的变化和经济不稳定扰乱的社区的身份和凝聚力的来源。创造力有助于建设开放、包容和富有吸引力的社会。遗产和创造力为充满活力、创新和繁荣的知识社会奠定了基础。

　　什么是文化?文化是我们是谁，是什么塑造了我们的身份。没有文化，任何发展都是不可持续的。教科文组织确保文化的作用通过大多数可持续发展目标得到承认，包括那些注重质量教育、可持续城市、环境、经济增长、可持续消费和生产模式、和平和包容性社会、性别平等和粮食安全的目标。教科文组织坚信，没有强大的文化成分，任何发展都是不可持续的。

　　为了确保文化在发展战略和进程中占据应有的位置，教科文组织采取了一种三管齐下的方法:它的倡导者在世界范围内倡导文化和发展，同时与国际社会一道制定明确的政策和法律框架，并在实地支持政府和地方利益攸关方保护遗产、加强创意产业和鼓励文化多元化。

　　今天，创造力正成为改变我们对城市看法的最有希望的场所之一。无论是通过振兴地方经济、重新思考交通或住房政策、开拓城市空间，还是为年轻人开辟新天地，创造力都是城市政策和举措背后的驱动力之一。世界各地的城市都把注意力集中在文化和创意产业上，以此来激励他们的未来。

　　当选代表和城市决策者推动了这一愿景，他们将这视为解决当代城市问题的战略创新杠杆，无论是在经济、社会还是环境方面。然而，更重要的是，这是专业人士和市民的共同愿景，他们正在自己的社区采取行动，建设更可持续、更人性化的城市。

　　这种创意城市治理的愿景是教科文组织创意城市方案和网络背后的驱动力(联合国教科文组织创意城市网络)。自2004年创建以来，该网络已经确立了自己作为一个战略平台的地位，以促进和分享这一可持续城市的新方法。教科文组织通过其标准制定和业务行动，为展示创造力在城市可持续性中的重要作用、协助国家和地方当局以及在国际一级倡导这一愿景铺平了道路。文化和创造力在可持续城市发展中起着关键作用。它们有助于经济多样化和创造就业机会，但它们也通过参与城市的社会结构和文化多样性来提高公民的生活质量。