Seoul to host 2026 Seoul Design International Forum on future of vital cities
Summary
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host the 2026 Seoul Design International Forum at DDP in Seoul on September 15. The forum, themed Vital Cities: Designing New Possibilities for Life, will examine how design can enhance future cities. It will feature a keynote by Liam Young and two sessions with nine experts from Korea and abroad. The event will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is expected to draw about 500 participants.
Key Facts
- The forum is in its seventh year and is part of Seoul’s efforts to strengthen the city’s global competitiveness and establish itself as a world-leading design city.
- The first session is titled Urban Design That Brings Vitality to Life and will feature Lee In-ah, Suh Eun-ryung and Choi In-gyu.
- The second session is titled Urban Ecosystems Evolving Through Design and will feature Peng Beng Khoo, Lee Seok-woo and Sheng-Hung Lee.
- Attendance is free, registration is available online through Tuesday, and the event will also be streamed live on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Korean- and English-language YouTube channels.
- In-person attendees can win Seoul-themed prizes, including GO SEOUL transportation-brand merchandise and goods featuring Seoul’s 2026 signature color, Morning Yellow.
A promotional poster for the 2026 Seoul Design International Forum / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host the 2026 Seoul Design International Forum on September 15 at Art Hall 2 of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), bringing together leading domestic and international experts to explore how design can shape the cities of the future.
Under the theme “Vital Cities: Designing New Possibilities for Life,” this year’s forum will examine ways to enhance the vitality, resilience and sustainability of future cities through innovative design.
Now in its seventh year, the annual forum is part of Seoul’s efforts to strengthen the city’s global competitiveness and establish itself as a world-leading design city.
The forum will begin with a keynote presentation by Liam Young, followed by two sessions featuring presentations and discussions by nine experts from Korea and abroad.
The first session, “Urban Design That Brings Vitality to Life,” will feature professor Lee In-ah of Seoul National University’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Director of Architecture and Engineering Services at the New York City Housing Authority Suh Eun-ryung and Director General of Design Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government Choi In-gyu.
The speakers will explore topics ranging from the relationship between brain plasticity and urban environments to urban resilience and design policy.
The second session, “Urban Ecosystems Evolving Through Design,” will feature Peng Beng Khoo, dean of Singapore University of Technology and Design; Lee Seok-woo, CEO of SWNA; and professor Sheng-Hung Lee of the University of Michigan. They will discuss future housing design in high-density cities, creative approaches to design and new possibilities for design in an aging society.
The forum will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is expected to draw approximately 500 participants. Attendance is free, and anyone interested can register online through the forum website by Tuesday. Those unable to attend in person can watch the event live on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official Korean- and English-language YouTube channels.
Participants attending in person will also have a chance to win Seoul-themed prizes, including GO SEOUL transportation-brand merchandise and goods featuring Seoul’s 2026 signature color, Morning Yellow.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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