The ECoC evidence base

The Archive

Forty years of European Capitals of Culture in their own words: what cities promised, what they did, and what the evaluations found.

documents: 472
cities: 190
evaluations: 53
bid books: 182; 1985–2031

10 documents of type strategy or research or other for “Legacy”

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Ask Encore: “Legacy”An answer from across the Archive, every claim cited to its document.

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What the document types mean

Bid book (pre-selection): A city's first application for the title, judged by the selection panel to make the shortlist.; Evidence of intent: what a city promised, not what it delivered.
Bid book (final selection): A shortlisted city's full, final application for the title, with its programme, budget and plans.; Evidence of intent: what a city promised, not what it delivered.
Selection panel report: The EU expert panel's assessment of the bids in one competition, with its reasons and its recommendation.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Monitoring panel report: The EU expert panel's report on a designated city's preparations before its title year, with its advice.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Ex-post evaluation: An assessment, written after the title year or a programme, of what it actually achieved, usually by independent evaluators.; Evidence of outcome: what actually happened.
Monitoring or progress report: A city's own report on how its programme is going, written while it runs, with the figures it has tracked.; Evidence of outcome: what actually happened.
Strategy: A city's long-term plan or policy for culture, including legacy strategies and council decisions.; A plan: how a city meant to deliver and keep going.
Action plan: A concrete plan of what a city or organisation will do, by when and with what resources.; A plan: how a city meant to deliver and keep going.
Guide or toolkit: Practical how-to material that others can reuse: guides, toolkits, handbooks and templates.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Research: Studies, frameworks and papers across one or more cities, written by researchers rather than by a city.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Other: Anything else: news, memos, programme brochures and documents that fit no type above.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.

London

…2.1 Title Year at a Glance The 2022 data paints a vivid picture of what the ECoC year achieved — and provides the baseline against which the legacy period should be understood.

Impact assessment accompanying COM(2012) 407, SWD(2012) 226

2012

Problem n° 3: weak legacy planning It clearly emerged from the 25 year anniversary conference which focused on the legacy of ECoC that legacy is far from automatic simply because a city holds the title.

Compendium of recommendations from the ex-post evaluations of the ECoC 2007–2016

2017

LEGACY Planning legacy at an early stage Sustainability needs to be considered at an early stage and ‘built-in’ from the outset. Whilst the year before the title-year and the title-year itself are inevitably very busy, legacy planning…

European Capitals of Culture: success strategies and long-term effects (Garcia and Cox, European Parliament, 2013)

2013

Legacy and sustainability Taking all identified challenges combined, from difficulties setting a coherent vision, to exploring the Programme’s European Dimension in a meaningful way, it is apparent that one of the key points to come to…

Culture Next Input - EC Call for Evidence on the new ECoC Legal Basis

Cluj-NapocaCluj-Napoca · 2026

Strengthening the Legacy Framework The Interim Evaluation highlights weak knowledge transfer between past, current, and future candidates, leading to the loss of good practices.

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL renewing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2034 to 2047 and repealing Decision No 445/2014/EU

Cluj-NapocaCluj-Napoca · 2026

The criteria for the assessment of application are as follows: (a) long-term strategy and legacy; (b) cultural and artistic content; (c) outreach, communication and citizens’ participation; (d) management and capacity to deliver.

Cultural Development Plan „Cultural Vision 2030“ (English) (Bad Ischl 2024)

Bad Ischl · 2024

Barbara Kernis a historian and has been researching the Salzkammergut region, its history, traditions, peculiarities, and legacy, since 2006. Since 2009, she has been a member of staff and spokesperson for the Hand.Werk.Haus Salzkammergut…

Commission Staff Working Document — interim evaluation of the ECoC action, SWD(2025) 284

2025

Finally, the evaluation argues that the title year legacy, despite being an important aspect evaluated at the selection stage, can be affected by a multitude of factors such as a shifting political support.

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