The project “Get to know the city” was designed and implemented by MENTOR in the context of the “Culture 2030” meeting of Eleusis 2023 – European Capital of Culture, with the aim of offering participants the opportunity to experience the multifaceted reality of Eleusis through walks that were connected both to the city’s history and its current condition. The project is a model for how local cultural routes can transform urban space into a dynamic space for learning and dialogue. The goal of the project was to promote an accessible, vibrant, green, and forward-thinking cultural policy. Interventions of this kind fall within the framework of a “creative city”, where culture is not at the periphery but acts as a driving force of its social and economic life.

During the open discussions of the “Get to know the city” project, participants spoke openly about the everyday challenges of a city that bears the weight of industrialization. Many emphasized the need to reconnect with public space, to access the waterfront, and to strengthen green areas. At the same time, they expressed their frustration with the absence of meaningful state interventions and the dysfunctionality of administration.

However, the most hopeful message that emerged was the belief that change can come from the bottom up; from the citizens themselves. The need for information, joint strategic action, and rallying around common problems was clearly expressed. Participants recognized that only through active participation, the exchange of experiences, and the shared recognition of challenges can a new perspective for the city arise.

The project succeeded in strengthening the city’s social cohesion, bringing citizens closer together, and laying the foundations for a more resilient and just urban life. The city became a living cultural entity, a point of encounter, listening, and collective initial creation. A meeting place where members of the community share common experiences, strengthening the bonds between them. A safe place where the community can validate or reject information.

The thematic cultural routes, which combine walks, storytelling, participatory activities, hidden stories within the urban fabric, oral testimonies, and local traditions, highlight the memories of the community, strengthen the social bonds among its members, and enhance the sustainability and resilience of the city. Sustainability in this context is understood primarily as social and cultural — capable of inspiring and mobilizing local forces and transforming cities into “laboratories of creative thinking”.

At the same time, the active involvement of cultural organizations in the development and production of cultural products -such as gastronomic experiences, thematic events, educational packages, publications, walking tour apps, or local handicrafts- significantly enriches the experience of visitors, creates new opportunities for the local economy, and enhances the sustainable development of cities and communities. The connection of cultural production with local identity, innovation, and entrepreneurship constitutes a key axis for creative economies that strengthen the autonomy of local communities.

The “Get to know the city” project embraces the idea that cultural heritage is alive, interactive, and strengthens the social cohesion of the city. Throughout the process, the urban space functions as a meeting place where community members share common experiences, reinforcing their unity. The city is activated as a “stage of everyday life”, where citizens transform from passive spectators into co-creators of the cultural landscape.

The experience in the city of Eleusis offers valuable insights and can serve as a model for cities seeking to empower local communities through their active participation in the design of a shared future.

The adoption of this model in other cities could create sustainable models of cultural management that connect historical memory with contemporary society and strengthen the creative autonomy of local actors. What is at stake is not simply the preservation of cultural heritage, but the cultivation of a collective vision for the future, where culture serves as a catalyst for social imagination, innovation, and participation.