Abstract
As global governance models continue to evolve, design is increasingly recognized as a key driver of public innovation and urban development. Many countries have begun integrating design into local governance as a strategic policy tool. In Taiwan, this trend is exemplified by the Taiwan Design Exhibition, which has become a major platform for the practical integration of design into urban governance. This study focuses on the Taiwan Design Exhibition (TDE) to explore how design assists local governments in implementing governance reforms. Functioning not only as an annual showcase but also as a long-term mechanism for urban transformation, the exhibition enables local governments to apply design methods across pre- exhibition planning, implementation, and post-exhibition initiatives. These efforts have led to enhanced interdepartmental collaboration, improved public spaces and services, and gradual institution aliz ation of design governance practices. Rather than being a one-off event, the exhibition serves as a multi-year, cross-sectoral initiative supporting sustainable urban transformation. This study investigates how the Taiwan Design Exhibition facilitates the integration of design into local governance, promotes public service innovation, and fosters a culture shift in governance. The research findings indicate that TDE has successfully supported local governments in advancing innovative governance processes and improving public services. It has fostered interdepartmental collaboration, enhanced civil servants’ design capabilities, and increased citizen engagement in local governance. This paper further recommends that institutional support and professional design capacities be strengthened to ensure the long-term application and impact of design in public governance contexts.
Keywords
Design in urban governance; Taiwan Design Exhibition; Urban innovation; Industrial innovation; Public service innovation
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1039
Citation
Cheng, Y., Chen, Y., Ho, Y., Chu, C., Chi, H., Ai, S.,and Chang, C.(2025) How Design Supports Local Governments in Integrating Governance Practices: The Case of the Taiwan Design Expo, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1039
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 10 - Design Practices & Impacts
How Design Supports Local Governments in Integrating Governance Practices: The Case of the Taiwan Design Expo
As global governance models continue to evolve, design is increasingly recognized as a key driver of public innovation and urban development. Many countries have begun integrating design into local governance as a strategic policy tool. In Taiwan, this trend is exemplified by the Taiwan Design Exhibition, which has become a major platform for the practical integration of design into urban governance. This study focuses on the Taiwan Design Exhibition (TDE) to explore how design assists local governments in implementing governance reforms. Functioning not only as an annual showcase but also as a long-term mechanism for urban transformation, the exhibition enables local governments to apply design methods across pre- exhibition planning, implementation, and post-exhibition initiatives. These efforts have led to enhanced interdepartmental collaboration, improved public spaces and services, and gradual institution aliz ation of design governance practices. Rather than being a one-off event, the exhibition serves as a multi-year, cross-sectoral initiative supporting sustainable urban transformation. This study investigates how the Taiwan Design Exhibition facilitates the integration of design into local governance, promotes public service innovation, and fosters a culture shift in governance. The research findings indicate that TDE has successfully supported local governments in advancing innovative governance processes and improving public services. It has fostered interdepartmental collaboration, enhanced civil servants’ design capabilities, and increased citizen engagement in local governance. This paper further recommends that institutional support and professional design capacities be strengthened to ensure the long-term application and impact of design in public governance contexts.