Testing UCLG’s Culture Assessment Tool in Elefsina

On 22 April, the second self-assessment workshop of the Pilot Cities programme was held as part of the international programme in Elefsina, Greece, 2023 European Capital of Culture. This workshop comes following the guidelines of the Culture 21 agenda and building upon the first Pilot Cities meeting held in January 2019. 

The Pilot Cities Programme is an international initiative that considers culture as the fourth pillar of a city’s sustainable development, alongside the economy, environment, and social inclusion. Participants in Elefsina were tasked with identifying the main challenges and proposing key areas for future development and, based on their discussion, the Culture 21 plus tool was published. The results of the final workshop could provide vital input for the city’s future cultural strategy and offer a blueprint for the city’s cultural future. The final report will soon be available on the UCLG Pilot Cities website.

After presenting the fruitful results of the Elefsina workshop, the Greek city is gearing up to host a cultural event aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in May. This event aims to provide guidance to local and regional governments, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders interested in strengthening policies, projects, and practices related to culture in achieving the SDGs.

Currently, 16 European cities are actively participating in the Pilot Cities Programme, forming a network that includes Galway, Gabrovo, Gijon, Lisbon, Namur, Swansea, Tenerife, Terrassa, Timișoara, Leeds, Nova Gorica, Rijeka, Esch-sur-Alzette, Elefsina, and Eivissa/Ibiza.

This program covers various cultural aspects, including:

• Communities: promoting inclusion, quality of life, education, equality, and coexistence
• Prosperity: fostering economic development, the creative economy, work in the cultural sector, sustainable tourism, and digitalisation
• Places: enhancing public space, cultural heritage, architecture, and urban design
• Nature: addressing ecological and social transitions, climate change, and gastronomy
• Governance: developing cultural strategies, public administration, participatory processes, networking, and communication
• Rights: ensuring freedom of expression, participation of minorities, accessibility, protection of artistic creation, and training

The Pilot Cities programme began in 2018 in Elefsina, providing an excellent opportunity for citizens to engage in open discussions about their city and highlight the importance of culture for Elefsina’s sustainable development. The process involved a first self-assessment workshop in January 2019, meetings of the Cultural Mediators group, the development and implementation of a work plan, and various projects and programs supported by Eleusis 2023.

Both past and future initiatives of the programme are organised by the European organisation in collaboration with the Culture Committee of the international UCLG organisation (United Cities and Local Governments). They are designed to set the stage for Elefsina’s long-term cultural strategy and to foster the cultural sustainability of all other participating cities.