European Capital of Culture as regional development tool? The case of Marseilles-Provence 2013

International audienceIn 2013 Marseilles held the title European Capital of Culture (ECOC). Like many other ECOCs, a key objective promoted by urban leaders was to use this initiative to bolster efforts to stimulate economic growth and create a wider urban region in order to better respond to the transforming global political economy. Yet, while similarities are apparent within the restructuring processes in cities and regions across Europe, this process happens differently in different cities at different times. Written two years before Marseilles' ECOC year, and drawing on fieldwork and interviews, this paper examines how a multi-level cultural policy initiative was seen and responded to by local actors in one European city region