Culture for Cities and Regions Project Was Completed

Culture for Cities and Regions Project, a European Commission initiative that began in January 2015 with the aim of promoting cities and regions in terms of healthy investments in cultures, which was jointly carried out by EUROCITIES, KEA and ERRIN, has been completed in September 2017.

Total funding of the project which was provided within the scope of Creative Europe Program (DG EAC) was € 1 million. The aims were to take inventory of the existing implementations in Europe, understand the successful cultural investment cases better, and focus on policy planning and implementation details.

3 fundamental topics, "cultural and creative industries for local economic development and urban renewal," "cultural heritage as a driving force of economic growth and social inclusion," and "culture for social inclusion; social innovation and intercultural dialogue" have been studied within the context of the project.

Within the three years during which the project had been carried out; a catalogue of 70 case studies was produced, 15 thematic study visits were organized and expert coaching was provided for 10 cities/regions. In addition, a number of external experts were also involved throughout the project and all the findings were shared on the project-specific website. To maximize the impact of the project beyond study visits; the city/region administrations involved in the visits were provided with follow-up coaching and a large number of interested parties were reached through extensive information Exchange. (Online catalogue, website, newsletter, social media etc.)

As a result of the project, approximately 150 cities and regions of each size have gained visibility at European level and have directly benefited from the initiative through active participation in study visits and coaching activities.

Culture for Cities and Regions project argues that cultural investment is a wise decision for local and regional decision-makers as cultural investment and cultural heritage are considered as important elements for both urban image, identity and urban/regional development strategies. The project also guides how these investments should be done.

The coordinators of the project state that the Culture for Cities and Regions, which they describe as a unique opportunity for cities and regions, generates an actual impact and a meaningful conveyance of local implementations beyond being a simple exchange of experience.

At the end of the project, a catalogue containing examples of successful cultural investments in Europe has been prepared. To reach the catalogue; http://cultureforcitiesandregions.eu/culture/case_studies/catalogue_practices

Source: http://cultureforcitiesandregions.eu/culture/project: