Governing Participation in the European Capital of Culture

Participatory practices have increasingly gained prominence within EU governance, with the concept of participation seemingly becoming an integral component of EU policy documents. One of the ways the EU seeks to enhance participation is through initiatives such as the European Capital of Culture (ECOC). Existing research on participation in the ECOC has predominantly focused on single case studies, with a notable lack of comparative analysis. The uniqueness of this paper lies in its attempt to connect multiple cases, contributing to critical interpretation and theoretical development within the field. It aims to systematically explore how ECOC host cities govern participation, strategies for promoting citizen engagement, and the challenges associated with participation. In terms of data sources, this study refers to EU policy documents, evaluation reports, and academic journal articles, with the research period spanning from 2007 to 2019. The analytical framework is to examine five types of participation, including public engagement, accessibility, community empowerment, co-creation, and participatory governance.