The Cities & Regions Network brings together policymakers and representatives from local authorities and professional associations from across Europe to place culture and creativity at the heart of inclusive and sustainable place-based transformation.

The Network drives innovation in policies, frameworks and regulations that both draw on and support the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI).

Bridging sectors to fuel systemic transformation

Policies for culture and creativity often operate in silos. While these policies can have meaningful impact, their potential remains limited when not connected with the priorities and practices of other policy areas and sectors. The Cities & Regions Network closes a systemic gap, addressing the insufficient inclusion of Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) in policies related to economic growth, innovation, culture and local development. 

The Network is evolving into a mission-driven community that cultivates peer learning and inspiration. This open environment welcomes policymakers from all levels of governance, scales and sectors. Its core purpose is to generate and test new ideas, ultimately leading to the development of integrated, collaborative policy actions, driven by and for culture and creativity. 

Watch the main takeaways from our Cities & Regions Network Forum 2025:

Our current activities are conducted through intergroups and pilot projects that unite policymakers with local stakeholders to: 

  • Identify silos and fragmentation in administrations, policies or programmes hindering the success of CCSIs and their impact in society
  • Experiment and pilot forms of integration of cultural, business and urban planning programmes, policies and frameworks
  • Support the transformation of and by CCSIs policy frameworks, to unleash its full societal impact
     
People seated around a table during a workshop or meeting, engaged in discussion with notes and materials spread out in front of them.

Interested in becoming a Delegate?

Our Cities and Regions Network provides a much-needed space for exchange and collaborative action.

Meet our Delegates

Aitziber Atorrasagasti Calcedo, Basque Government

Anita Debaere, Pearle*-Live Performance Europe

Araf Ahmadali, City of Amsterdam

Bruno Inácio, Municipality of Faro

Carlos Moedas, Municipality of Lisboa

Charles Landry, Creative Bureaucracy Festival

Charlotte Skott, City of Uppsala

Carsten Brosda, Municipality of Hamburg

Chiara Colangelo, Regione Abruzzo, Dipartimento Presidenza

Cinzia Lagioia, Creative Puglia Cluster, Apulia region

Christian Ehler, Member of European Parliament

Cristina Ortega Nuere, World Leisure Organisation

Daniel Martínez Rodríguez, City of Madrid

Dr. Stella Donata Haag, Filmuniversiät Babelsberg

Elke Timmerman, Flanders DC

Erik Pelling, Chairman of the Municipal Board, Uppsala

Ernest Slot, Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap

Evdokimos Konstantinidis, ENOLL​

Gerbrand Bas, Federatie Creatieve Industrie​

Gerin Trautenberger, Kreativwirtschaft Austria

Helen Smith, Impala Music

Jan Bormans, European Startup Network

Jan Pekař, Deputy Mayor, City of Český Těšín

Janet Ågren, Municipality of Umeå

Jari-Pekka Kaleva, European Games Developer Federation (EGDF)

Jessica Fuller, Western Development Commission

Jokin Garatea, Municipality of Forua, Spain

Julie Hervé, Eurocities Network

Jürgen K. Enninger, Municipality of Augsburg

Jutta Scheibelberger, Wirtschaftsagentur Wien/ Vienna Business Agency

Krista Petajajarvi, The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture, Municipal council of Kirkkonummi, Helsinki metropolitan area

Kristian Horsburgh, LUX Innovation

Lars Ebert, Culture Action Europe

Luis Fernando Martín Izquierdo. VICECONSEJERO DE CULTURA Y TURISMO

Laure Kaltenbach, Creative Tech​

Lourenco Jardim, City of Lisboa​

Marcel Gibóda, City of Kosice

Maria Hansen, ELIA Artschools

Maria J. del Blanco, Bilbao Ekintza

Marjolein Cremer, City of Amsterdam

Martijn van der Mark & Idelette Rocha, City of Rotterdam

Mirijam Boehme, City of Aachen

Morena Diazzi, Regione Emilia Romagna

Mustafa Gül, Istanbul Bilgi University

Natália Oszkó-Jakab, The Hungarian Tourism Program Foundation

Nada Pesheva, Advisor of the Ministry of Culture

Ola Jacobson, Children & Youth Strategy, Cultural Administration, City of Helsingborg

Pier Luigi Sacco, University of Chieti-Pescara

Robert Piaskowski & Carlos Panek Soares de Araujo, City of Krakow

Scott Lipinski, European Fashion Alliance

Simone Dudt, European Music Council

Stefan Gies, AEC Music

Tommaso Sacchi, City of Milano

Urmas Klaas, Municipality of Tartu

Yann Galut, Maire de Bourges

Yordanka Fandakova, Municipality of Sofia

Zarja Vintar, Kofein dizajn

Zora Jaurová, City of Bratislava