CRITIQUE OF ECC AND ITS EFFECTS
Headquarters versus Mobile Base of Operation
Target Cities and their Urban Projects
Since 2005, the European Capital of Culture programme assigns titles to midsize and smaller cities (''from an average of 1.5 million people per host city in the first decade of the project to approximately 200,000 inhabitants per host city in period until 2012.'') and increased spending on large infrastructure projects.
Financial Figures (*Approximate)
The funding of infrastructural projects are exemplified by the following figures:
Conference and Concert Centre: approx. 30,000.000 EURO
Library and Knowledge Centre: approx. 20,000,000 EURO
Revitalisation of Public Squares and Parks: 30,000,000 EURO
Large Exhibition Area: 15,000,000 EURO
Critique
Headquarters versus Infrastructure
Despite increased funding of infrastructure projects, the EU directorates are still not engaged enough in field work and are too detached from logitsical issues and physical challenges.
A much better connectivity between cities still needs to be established, EU regulations need to be simplified and the agents should leave their headquarters more.
This project speculates that cities are forced to update their urban connections through the Council of Urban Culture's sheer presence as a new mobile Institute.
OBSCURE EVALUATION STRATEGY
Reports by International Cultural Advisors
Statistical Research and Evaluation Report
The European Commission (Directorate General - Education and Culture)
financed the International Cultural Advisors Palmer/Rae Associates from
Brussels to undertake an evaluation report of the European Capital of
Culture framework over the course of six months. This report is called
''European Cities and Capitals of Culture - City Reports'', also known as
the ''Palmer Report''.
The Palmer Report 1, which analyses the 10 cities of designated European
Capital of Culture 1985-1994 (a.o. Athens, Berlin), is mainly based on
the feedback from Antwerp and Glasgow.
The Palmer Report 2, which analyses the 21 cities of designated European
Capital of Culture 1995-2004, is based on the interviews and
questionnaires submitted by only a total of 21 respondents. The report
also refers to the European Capitals of Culture designated under new EU
procedures for 2005-2008.
International Evaluation
The Palmer Report states that ''since the publication of the 1994 study on European Cities of Culture and Cultural Months, reports of the event have been compiled only on the initiative of individual cities themselves. Such reports are inconsistent, and many remain unpublished. There is no single source of information for organisers of European Cities of Culture, municipalities and governments, cultural operators, researchers and journalists to consult, and no available inventory or bibliography of published reports.''
National Evaluation
The European Commission publishes an evaluation report on the outcomes
of the European Capitals of Culture of the previous year every
year.
From 2019 onwards, capitals themselves have to carry our this
evaluation report within a timeframe of 1 year past the event.
Abandoned Projects
The Palmer Report also states that, ''when undertaking the research for the 1994 study, researchers commented that most of the specialist units responsible for the management of each European Capital of Culture had disbanded, and few of the city administrations and other relevant agencies involved had maintained any continuing interest in European Capital of Culture.''
''Of the 10 European Capitals of Culture designated in the period 1985-1994, only Glasgow and Antwerp have been used consistently as a benchmark for the European Capital of Culture action and a hallmark of city regeneration through arts activity (see Bianchini & Parkinson 1993; Saye 1992).'' The University of Glasgow embarked on a study assessing Glasgow 1990 to be published in 2005.
Critique
Although the complilation of statistical data and a report of activities help evaluate a city's socio-economic performance, there is a risk of the city resuming to its old habits or patterns after the title year.
Proposal
The 'Council of Urban Culture' complements the European Capital of Culture of the Creative Europe Programme in the realm of architecture and urbanism.
After the European Capital of Culture Festival, the city does not merely publish a report and resume to its old habits or patterns. The cultural field remains active with the new temporary and permanent organisations although the main institute has moved on.