The European capital of culture: a systematic review of the literature
Date Issued
2026
Type
article
Start Page
1
End Page
18
Abstract
The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) initiative is a flagship European Union programme, launched in 1985, aiming to highlight Europe’s cultural diversity and to promote long-term cultural, social and economic regeneration of cities. The paper provides a Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA) on the ECoC initiative encompassing 106 articles sourced from Scopus, and investigates how the existing literature evaluated its success in achieving the objectives set by the EU. Five EU selection criteria segment the literature. The paper provides a synthesis of the institutional evolution of the ECoC initiative; identifies influential publications and authors, and arranges the literature into thematic areas. Gaps in the literature are identified to reflect the evolving shape of this European initiative. The review offers a consolidated foundation for future investigations and provides insights into how citizen engagement and multilevel governance structure are discussed in the literature as key factors in the assessment of the initiative