Raising cultural participation: Limits and pitfalls of cultural spending in cities

Cultural participation is a catalyst for urban vitality and transformation, characterising central-periphery dynamics. At the frontline of public endowment to the arts, cities' spending plays a major role in sustaining cultural vibrancy in a territory. People’s cultural participation is, however, shaped by several socio-economic factors that can be a barrier to their engagement in the arts, intimately tied to the effectiveness of public spending in cities. This study draws on data from 1,343 towns and cities in the Italian region of Lombardy, and investigates the relationship between cultural spending and cultural participation. While the relationship is significant only for wealthy cities with lower economic deprivation, the study outlines the importance for local administrators to integrate cultural policies into a broader set of public policy actions. • Combines cities’ expenditure with cultural participation data • Spatial model accounts for population size and proximity to provincial capital • Points out city socio-economic barriers related to public expenditure effectiveness • Strong spatial spillovers in peripheral towns