Cultural interventions as drivers of well-being in cities. Insights from Valencia

Over the last decade, individual and social well-being gained increasing relevance in public policy discourses and has become increasingly central to shaping urban agendas across Europe. Issues related to citizens' physical and mental health, the social inclusion of vulnerable populations, and the quality and accessibility of public spaces and services have been brought to the forefront. This momentum paves the ground for broadening the perspective on the wellbeing-city nexus beyond the strictly sectoral boundaries in which it had often been confined. As part of this reflection, this study focuses on the role of cultural interventions as drivers of individual and social well-being, exploring their potential to enhance citizens' health and quality of life. Relying on empirical materials collected in the City of Valencia under the umbrella of the MESOC Horizon 2020 Project (www.mesoc-project.eu), the paper reflects on those factors and dynamics that enabled the generation of well-being-related impacts at the individual, collective and territorial levels. In addition to reflecting on lessons learned from Valencia, the study formulates some hypotheses on the usefulness of the proposed methodology for further research.