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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2 (AUGUST 2025) | Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources

Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2 (AUGUST 2025)

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M – 00563Research Article

Culture-Based Urban Development and Sustainability: Experiences from Hungary’s European Capitals of Culture and Implications for Győr

Zsuzsanna Kara*1, Márta Konczos Szombathelyi2, Gergely Tamás Kucsera3

1Doctoral School of Regional and Economic Sciences, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary.

Email: karazsuzsanna1974@gmail.com ǀ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4155-1397

2Faculty of Economics, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary. Email: kszm@sze.hu

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5248-7752

3Faculty of Arts & Design, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary. Email: kucseratamas@hotmail.com

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9083-3433

*Corresponding author

Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 276-305. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214

Received: 28 May 2025

Reviewed: 25 July 2025

Provisionally Accepted: 30 July 2025

Revised: 10 August 2025

Finally Accepted: 12 August 2025

Published: 23 August 2025


                                    

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Editing Work

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ABSTRACT

This study explores the intersection of culture-based urban development and sustainability through the lens of urban ecology, drawing on the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) programs in Veszprém-Balaton 2023 and Pécs 2010. It addresses the previously limited integration of ecological considerations in culture-based urban policies, highlighting how recent ECoC initiatives, such as Veszprém-Balaton 2023, have increasingly embraced ecological perspectives. The study further investigates how ecological principles can be embedded in cultural strategies to strengthen regional identity and promote long-term urban resilience. Using an interdisciplinary framework, the research integrates literature review, qualitative data analysis, and comparative case study methods. Data sources include ECoC Bidbooks, municipal strategic documents, programme evaluations, and peer-reviewed literature. Key focus areas include brownfield regeneration, low-emission transport, and community-based cultural practices, with emphasis on the ecological roles culture can play in transforming urban environments. The findings show that ECoC programmes can serve as catalysts for both cultural renewal and sustainable urban development. In the case of Veszprém-Balaton 2023, former industrial zones were creatively reused for cultural purposes, supported by initiatives promoting green mobility and circular resource use. Infrastructure projects, such as cultural spaces developed with sustainability criteria, and measures like reusable cup systems and eco-conscious transport solutions contributed to reduced environmental footprints and enhanced public participation. This study addressed ecological dimensions of culture-based urban development by contrasting awarded (Pécs, Veszprém) and non-awarded (Győr) cities. By synthesising lessons from ECoC programmes, it introduces a model for integrating cultural programming with ecological planning, offering scalable approaches for sustainable cultural investment. Future work may investigate Győr’s evolving cultural strategy through an ecological lens, assess long-term outcomes of ECoC projects, and examine cross-regional interconnections in cultural-ecological networks.

Keywords

Urban ecology; Culture-based development; European capital of culture; Sustainability; Regional identity

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HOW TO CITE THIS PAPER?
Harvard Style

Kara, Z., Szombathelyi, M.K. and Kucsera, G.T. (2025). Culture-Based Urban Development and Sustainability: Experiences from Hungary’s European Capitals of Culture and Implications for Győr. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 276-305. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214

APA Style

Kara, Z., Szombathelyi, M. K., & Kucsera, G. T. (2025). Culture-Based Urban Development and Sustainability: Experiences from Hungary’s European Capitals of Culture and Implications for Győr. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2), 276-305. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214

ACS Style

Kara Z., Szombathelyi M. K., Kucsera G. T. Culture-Based Urban Development and Sustainability: Experiences from Hungary’s European Capitals of Culture and Implications for Győr. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (2), 276-305. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kara, Zsuzsanna, Szombathelyi, Márta Konczos, Kucsera, Gergely Tamás. 2025. “Culture-Based Urban Development and Sustainability: Experiences from Hungary’s European Capitals of Culture and Implications for Győr”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 2: 276-305. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214

AAA Style

Kara, Zsuzsanna, Márta Konczos Szombathelyi and Gergely Tamás Kucsera. 2025. “Culture-Based Urban Development and Sustainability: Experiences from Hungary’s European Capitals of Culture and Implications for Győr”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (2): 276-305. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214

ABSTRACTING LINKS
Crossref: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080214
EuroPub: https://www.europub.co.uk/articles/775085
Scilit: https://www.scilit.com/publications/7f85fa5a2f6b0e3da4701767f25355dd
Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/164795653/Culture_Based_Urban_Development_and_Sustainability_Experiences_from_Hungary_s_European_Capitals_of_Culture_and_Implications_for_Gy%C5%91r
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Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394992534_Culture-Based_Urban_Development_and_Sustainability_Experiences_from_Hungary%27s_European_Capitals_of_Culture_and_Implications_for_Gyor
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