The cultural strategy of Rotterdam

Abstract

This paper deals with the cultural policy and strategy of Rotterdam, in particular with regard to its designation as the 'European City of Culture' for the year 2001. Having been a port and manufacturing city for many years, with a large proportion of lesser educated people, the city's first goal has been for many years to ameliorate the cultural climate of the city to the benefit of its residents. Since 1987, however, this cultural policy has received an increasingly market-oriented emphasis. The eternal rivalry with Amsterdam, the absolute cultural capital of the country, and the expectation that a cultural image would enhance the attractiveness of the city for economic investments, are the main factors in this reorientation. Rotterdam's prospects in the market of international urban tourism are, however, weak, because this city does not possess an attractive historical core. Therefore, modern architecture has become the trademark of Rotterdam.

Keywords

• city
• culture
• urban tourism
• port city
• uncultural image
• cultural policy