Toulouse, European Capital of Culture[Toulouse, Capitale européenne de la culture]

This technical expertise report , a vade mecum, highlights questions, hopes and issues to be considered for Toulouse's candidacy for the title of European Capital of Culture. We address five major themes: the strategic management of a European Capital of Culture (urban marketing, communication), the ambition and strategic options within the framework of a city project (urban project = cultural project), the competitive analysis and risk assessment and events as a mode of urban programming. The capital – "capitol" image of a city like Toulouse is an element of the construction of identity of a European metropolis of the 21st century. We must understand the lasting effects of the ephemeral on an urban, economic and cultural level. These three areas must converge and overlap necessarily or in part towards the realization of an urban and cultural utopia, often thwarted by the realities of a cultural microcosm, or even of a precarious Toulouse cultural sector and a commodification of spaces requiring adaptation. to the challenges of the 21st century city. The cultural event takes place over a year and becomes a means of supporting a city project, often through strong gestures, regretted by some, praised by others.