Cultural Care? The European capitals of culture as ambivalent infrastructures of urban (Un)care. The cases of Matera and Plovdiv 2019

In recent years, the concept of care has gained increasing relevance in urban sociology and critical cultural theory as a lens to analyse the relational, spatial and political dimensions of urban life. This article examines the European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) programme as an ambivalent infrastructure of urban (un)care. Drawing on literature on care, post-austerity governance and culture-led urban development, it investigates how large-scale cultural programmes may simultaneously enable and constrain practices of participation, inclusion and social cohesion. The study adopts a qualitative and comparative approach, focusing on the 2019 editions in Matera (Italy) and Plovdiv (Bulgaria). Through a structured analytical framework linking programme design, implementation and outcomes, it explores the tensions between participatory narratives and their practical translation within different local contexts. The findings highlight the coexistence of enabling and limiting dynamics: while both cases demonstrate the capacity of cultural programmes to mobilise resources and generate visibility, they also reveal challenges related to governance centralisation, limited continuity of participation and weak long-term institutionalisation. The article argues that care in culture-led urban policies should be understood not as a predefined outcome, but as a contested and context-dependent process. It concludes by reflecting on the conditions under which cultural policies can support more inclusive, relational and durable forms of urban development.