New Eurocities publication out now: Culture and democratic resilience, a link to sustainable culture
Our new publication, Cities, culture and democratic resilience: Freedom of expression in a new era, brings together around 30 cultural initiatives shared by cities at the Eurocities Culture Forum 2026 in Gothenburg. It offers insights and concrete examples of how cities keep culture a space for dialogue, creativity, critical thinking and democratic engagement, even in challenging times.
With a strong focus on freedom of expression and democratic resilience, the publication is also a reminder that these values are also at the base of a sustainable culture sector. Many of the examples reflect priorities of the Eurocities Lille Call to Action for Sustainable Culture, particularly under its second pillar, ‘Inclusion in culture and through culture’. They show how cities are:
- facilitating connections between local cultural stakeholders and encouraging local artistic creation (priorities 4 and 5). See examples from Gothenburg (pg. 26 and 28) and Netwerkstad Twente (pg. 45)
- widening access to culture for all and developing ambitious projects for vulnerable people (priorities 11 and 12). See examples from Gdansk (pg. 18), Milan (pg. 41) and Terrassa (pg. 52).
- strengthening cultural and artistic diversity (priority 14). See examples from Glasgow (pg. 22) and Rotterdam (pg. 50).
- increasing citizens’ participation in developing and implementing cultural policies (priority 16). See examples from Bristol (pg. 14), Netwerkstad Twente (pg. 45) and Paris (pg. 47).
The cities’ contributions present in the publication are great evidence of how a local culture sector that is diverse and participatory leads to a stronger democracy and contributes to sustainable development at the same time.
Read the publication here.
Contact us
If your city would like to join the growing community of signatories, or if you have questions about the process and next steps, we would love to hear from you.
Contact us to express your interest in signing the Eurocities Lille Call to Action.
