The thesis discusses culture as a tool for urban regeneration in the context of the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica-Gorizia. We proceed from the assumption that culture has the potential for regeneration as a means of strengthening social capital, urban identity, and urban regeneration. Within this framework, the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) represents strategic interventions in the urban fabric and the social relations of the city. The thesis provides a specific and theoretically relevant context for studying culture as a means of urban regeneration. It addresses a unique situation of cross-border cooperation between two cities that have been marked-or even created-by the border. Through their cross-border nature and joint ECOC candidacy, the two cities seek new spatial and symbolic connections to form a cross-border conurbation. In the theoretical part, we establish the conceptual framework of the thesis, focusing on culture-led urban regeneration and the ECOC initiative as both a European policy incentive and a concrete tool for culture-led urban regeneration. Furthermore, we define the spatial context-the city of Nova Gorica and present the idea of establishing a conurbation between Nova Gorica and Gorizia.In the empirical part, we provide an analysis of ECOC 2025 from the perspective of its potential for culture-led urban regeneration. ECOC 2025 is recognized as a timing, social, and spatial catalyst for urban regeneration.
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