A new report by EUROCITIES explores trends to see “how culture reshapes our cities -physically, socially, and imaginatively”, in a future of shared multifunctional hubs for culture, resilient communities, and sustainable urban innovation.
With the title “Future cultural spaces in cities: Emerging trends”, the report identifies as the number one trend that cities are designing “cultural spaces that celebrate their unique local identities, cultural heritage and creative ecosystems”.
Top trends include prioritising adaptable and mobile cultural spaces and circular and sustainable practices, such as by repurposing vacant industrial sites. Decentralization, youth-focus and hybrid governance models are also highlighted. Affordable workplaces for artists, digital and AI tools to improve access and cultural spaces as social hubs rise as well among the trends.
To showcase best practices the authors offer a wide range of 30 real cases from small to large-scale examples and from top-down to bottom-up approaches.
Urban planners may draw inspiration from initiatives on mobile and temporary spaces for inclusion, such as “Culture in motion” in Turin, Italy, “Culture on wheels” in Berlin, Germany, or “Meanwhile Spaces” in Tampere, Finland, offering temporary art hubs in public premises (click on image to enlarge).
Ideas on improving access to culture showcased in the report include “a theatre in every neighbourhood” in Lisbon, Portugal or on putting young people at the centre of cultural placemaking , turning disruptive places to hidden gems such as in the case of Kortrijk, Belgium.
Individuals may get inspired by community actors in Brno in the Czech Republic, who collaborated with associations such as Tripitaka, Odjinud, and Káznice Studios and revitalized a former prison to a vibrant cultural venue. The Káznice complex housed a prison during 1784-1956 and was partially turned to an archive, a police station, or abandoned until 2018 (click on image to enlarge).
Following the locals’ activities, the venue currently hosts cultural events, exhibitions, concerts, festivals and regular masses in the former prison chapel. Káznice organises the Faktor K. festival, every autumn, provides space for community projects and explores collaborations, both at a local and international level.
Art House Turku is a former tobacco factory transformed to a rapidly expanding cultural centre in the Old Town of Turku, Finland. The project has a hybrid public-private funding model and “offers a practical blueprint for cultural spaces championing artistic livelihoods” (click on image to enlarge).
It was opened in 2022 as a home for art and culture for artists, local residents and tourists. It keeps growing ever since, currently housing three galleries, a cinema, artist studios, educational spaces, and around 20 creative businesses.
The examples showcased in the report were presented in the context of the Eurocities Brno Culture Forum 2025, was held in September 2025, with the participation of 147 representatives from 61 cities and 21 European countries. The Forum celebrated the addition of three more cities, Brno, Gdansk and Edinburgh, to Eurocities’ “Lille Call to Action for low carbon and more Inclusive Culture” bringing the total number of signatories to 59.
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Image 1 - Featuring "Art House Turku" - Courtesy of EUROCITIES
Image 2 - Featuring “Meanwhile Spaces” Tampere - Courtesy of EUROCITIES
Image 3 - Featuring "Brno: Káznice" - Courtesy of EUROCITIES
Image 4 - Featuring "Art House Turku" - Courtesy of EUROCITIES
