| 英文摘要 |
Across Europe, many cities are considering culture as essential asset to boost their economic, cultural and social development. One of the major practices of cultural policy within the EU context is the staging of cultural events, with the European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) as the most prominent example. Started in 1985, more than 40 cities have been designated as ECOC so far. In this article, the 2008 ECOC Liverpool is selected as case study to demonstrate some of the key issues surrounding the event-led strategy of regional development. The research is based on analysis of official documents the Impacts 08 research program, supplemented by academic publications. The research findings point to three dimensions in which the ECOC constitutes a boost for regional development: (1) economic dimensions: the development of experience economy, urban regeneration and city image; (2) cultural dimensions: the growth of cultural participation, cultural supply and creative industries; (3) social dimensions: the enhancement of accessibility and social inclusion, sense of place and local identity, as well as social capital. |