Future Cities

Co-Creating the Future of BSR Cities Through Culture and Civic Participation.

Overview

Across the Baltic Sea Region, small and medium-sized cities face rising pressure: they must respond to climate change, rebuild social cohesion and maintain trust in public institutions—often with limited staff and resources. Many local public authorities and NGOs want to work in more participatory, creative and people-centred ways but lack practical methods, political backing or confidence to use them in daily work.

The Future Cities Platform brings together the achievements of successful EU projects—such as BSR Cultural Pearls, Liveability, CCI4Change, NEB-STAR or EDITUA—that have tested new ways of involving citizens, using culture, creativity and design to strengthen resilience and improving neighbourhoods through co-creation. Their tools, stories and networks are now combined in one joint effort.

Objective

The Future Cities project’s objective is to strengthen cities across the Baltic Sea Region by connecting more and less experienced municipalities, supporting civil society, and making proven methods accessible, using culture and co-creation as practical tools for sustainable and inclusive urban development.

Target groups

Municipalities, regional and local public authorities.

Outputs

The platform delivers four core outputs that consolidate the involved projects’ results:

  1. Future Cities Playbook, a practical guide for creating a shared city vision and turning it into action;
  2. Portfolio of tested tools for cultural and participatory work;
  3. Peer-learning and an online learning community for cities and NGOs;
  4. Policy brief explaining why culture and creativity are strategic investments for resilience and liveability.
Partners
  • Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Schleswig-Holstein (DE) — Lead partner
  • Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS);
  • Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture;
  • Baltic Sea Cultural Centre (PL);
  • City of Espoo (FI);
  • Nordic Edge (NO);
  • Estonian Academy of Arts (EE);
  • ARS BALTICA (DE).
Duration

June 2026 – December 2028

Funding

The Future Cities project is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme.

Contact

Felix Schartner Giertta, Project Coordinator, BSR Cultural Pearls, Phone: +46 73 026 73 12, Email: [email protected]

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