Marseille-Provence 2013 a larger, decades-long, multibillion-dollar development effort to revitalize the city. The official designation of European Capital of Culture was created in 1985 with the goal of building ties between citizens of the European Union by celebrating both the diversity of European culture and its common history and values. The event is also considered an opportunity for a city or region raise its international profile and to foster urban renewal through investment in culture and tourism. Thus far, more than 40 cities have received the European Capital of Culture designation. The city of Marseille launched its candidacy to host the European
French Politics, Culture & Society French Politics, Culture & Society French Politics, Culture & Society is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Berghahn Books on behalf of the Conference Group on French Politics & Society (sponsored jointly by the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University and the Institute of French Studies at New York University). It covers modern and contemporary France from the perspectives of the social sciences, history, and cultural analysis. It also explores the relationship of France to the rest of the world, especially Europe, the United States, and the former French colonies. The editor-in-chief is Herrick Chapman. "French