The panel of experts that examined the nomination of Nagoya acknowledged that "Nagoya has a leading role in fostering a sustainable design culture with collaborative approaches between government, industries and the creative design community to develop environmental and ecological design solutions." It also underlined "the potential of the city to further nurture a creative environment for international exchanges through its best practises of supporting the international design profession and emerging young talents."

The panel further recognized that "Kobe is an emerging centre of excellence for design with a strong interest in design-led urban development." It noted in particular "the city’s vision embracing design as a strategic tool for urban regeneration, as shown in the recovery projects developed after the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995."

UNESCO established the Creative Cities Network at the end of 2004 to support social, economic and cultural development. The cities that join the network promote their local creative scene, share their experience with a wider audience, and create new opportunities both for themselves and others through this global platform. The development of partnerships between the public and private sectors is a key feature of the network.

With Kobe and Nagoya, the Creative Cities Network now has 14 members.