Culture for Cities and Regions in Europe: Case Studies

The Culture for Cities and Regions project, initiated by the European Commission and managed by EUROCITIES in partnership with KEA European Affairs and the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), has recently published a catalogue of 71 practices from European cities and regions that contribute to local development. Among them are several which involve local and regional museums. The Culture for Cities and Regions project recognises that investment in culture is a key element in urban and regional development strategies and that the presence and quality of cultural activities is a major factor of attractiveness of a city and a measure of quality of life. In this context it aims to examine existing practices around three major dimensions:

• culture and the creative industries for local economic development and urban regeneration;
• cultural heritage as a driver for economic growth and social inclusion
• culture for social inclusion, social innovation and intercultural dialogue.

The 71 practices presented in the catalogue have been identified following an open call. The publication aims to foster the exchange of information and promote peer-to-peer learning. Coordinators of the project also want to help local and regional authorities to understand and make more of the positive impacts that investments in culture can have on economic development, social cohesion and urban regeneration. The practices cover different types of local and regional authorities: regions, large or capital cities, small and medium-sized cities. This includes very low-population density regions, very small cities and initiatives connecting rural areas. European Capitals are also represented in the catalogue. Relevant projects involving museums include "Aarhus: City of Museums" (Denmark), the Bank of Materials in Porto (Portugal), the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp (Belgium), Museums Alive in Edinburgh (UK) and the "Musée passager" in Île-de-France (France). The publication is available at http://www.cultureforcitiesandregions.eu/culture/resources/Catalogue-of-case-studies-complete-WSWE-A4UFVM For additional information about the project "Culture for Cities and Regions", please visit http://www.cultureforcitiesandregions.eu/ The project runs between January 2015 and September 2017.