Forty years. Just a blink or something more? Learning from… ECoC

This essay introduces the volume by critically retracing forty years of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) programme, framing it as both a mirror and a driver of urban and cultural transformations in Europe. From 1985 to 2025, the ECoC initiative has evolved from a symbolic event into a complex tool for urban regeneration, identity-building, and civic imagination. The authors reflect on how cities have used culture to reinterpret marginal spaces, promote social inclusion, and catalyze lasting spatial and infrastructural changes. Drawing on the research and teaching experience of the RRR Lab at the University of Trieste, the text proposes ECoCs as experimental platforms for architectural, economic, and political innovation. The essay also contextualizes the work of two student collectives (COLGO! and VAGO) that analyzed 40 case studies using comparative tools like SWOT analysis, highlighting the legacy, challenges, and potentials of culture-led urban transformation.