Lublin 2029 is not only about events – it is also about in-depth research and reflection on the future of the city and its communities.
Last week, members of the interdisciplinary Monitoring and Evaluation Team for Lublin 2029 took part in the Monitor 2024 conference in Bodø, which summarized the experience of the first Arctic European Capital of Culture. The #Bodo2024 analysis conducted by Nord University under the leadership of Anatoliy Bourmistrov is one of the most methodologically robust studies in this field, combining a Theory of Change approach, Social Return on Investment (SROI) and an innovative economic scenario model.
Great credit goes to Bodø for its flexible, multi-layered approach: creating a citizens’ jury, developing a digital twin of the city, and making conscious use of data with transparent presentation of findings. This was not a success-only narrative — both positive changes and the more challenging aspects of the process were shown. The conference reminded us that local communities face many issues, from symbolic inclusivity in mega-events to infrastructural gaps affecting artists and audiences. Articulating these needs shows that most ECoC cities experience similar problems and do not shy away from criticism. Yet, awareness of this complexity does not stop ECoC cities from making bold decisions.
Experts also emphasized that one of the biggest challenges for the development of the Arctic and Subarctic regions is demographic change: youth migration, ageing populations, the growth of large municipalities and the shrinking of small localities. At the same time, the findings showed that investment in culture increases community resilience, even if cultural impacts are difficult to measure quickly. Thanks to insights gathered by researchers from other ECoC cities — Umeå 2014, Tartu 2024, and next year’s capital Oulu 2026 — we had the chance to hear conclusions that will be extremely valuable for our future research. Special thanks go to Valentina Montalto for reminding us of the key recommendations from the White Book: Europe is everything you do, celebrate what you change and keep your promises.
