City/Capital of Culture schemes in European medium-sized coastal cities: the cases of Hull (UK) and Pafos (Cyprus)

Cultural events, and in particular mega events, have long been an integral part of urban agendas as tools to foster economic development and urban regeneration in the context of inter-urban competition within capitalist economies. Policy makers in European coastal or port cities of any scale appear to be particularly keen on bidding for City/Capital of Culture titles. City/Capital of Culture events, as well as other hallmark events, should be understood longitudinally within cities’ experiences of culture and regeneration. In European medium-sized coastal cities, such events may be remarkable pivotal moments and may contribute to triggering long-term physical, socio-economic, and symbolic transformations. Despite the fact that cultural events and mega events alone are by no means sufficient to tackle structural challenges in European medium-sized coastal cities, it appears possible to argue that certain large-scale events can help local policy makers cope with issues of external perceptions and geographical and symbolic isolation.