Local Governments’ Cultural Policies

Authors : Oğuzhan Erdoğan

Pages : 299-326

Doi:10.53791/imgelem.1789022

View : 147 | Download : 535

Publication Date : 2025-12-28

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :Local governments’ cultural policies play a strategic role in the social, economic, and cultural development of cities. These policies aim to preserve cultural diversity, support the arts, sustain cultural heritage, and strengthen social participation. Local governments support cultural life by establishing cultural infrastructure such as theaters, museums, and libraries, and encourage the participation of city residents through festivals and events. In this way, local governments become dynamic cultural actors that strengthen city identity and increase social solidarity. This study examines local government cultural policies as a strategic area that guides the cultural development of cities, enriches social life, and strengthens local identity. The study is generally qualitative in nature and is descriptive and critical. The method used in this study is document analysis. In this context, the study draws on the literature in the field. The findings of this study are that local governments play a major role in the implementation of cultural policies, that local government cultural policies are decisive, particularly in the preservation of cultural heritage and the creation of urban identity, In Turkey, local governments disseminate cultural policies to the public by organizing festivals, staging theater performances, opening museums, and establishing libraries. However, the priorities of political authorities, citizens’ demands, and budgetary constraints have a major impact on the shaping of cultural policies. The conclusion of this study is that the success of local governments’ cultural policies in Turkey and around the world is shaped by three fundamental axes: financing and resource diversity, sustainability, and participatory governance.
Keywords : Yerel Yönetimler, Kültürel Miras, Kent Kimliği, Kültür, Kültür Politikaları.

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