In search of local connections: Cultural policies and their effect on social cohesion within municipalities of Utrecht.

Enhancing social cohesion adds to a decrease in mortality and crime rates, while also increasing the stability of fragile groups, the wellbeing of elderly people and economic growth. Municipal policies around culture, like cultural heritage and tourism, can be used in a way that has an increasing effect on social cohesion. Cultural policy experts of sixteen municipalities and people from two market organizations within the province of Utrecht were studied and interviewed about their strategies to enhance social cohesion through heritage locations and their touristic profile. The main question: In municipalities located in the province of Utrecht, do policies on cultural heritage and tourism have an effect on social cohesion and if so, how, according to the policymakers and other relevant civil servants? Policy experts did not know about these strategies or did not utilize them, due to capacity constraints and a lack of knowledge on the subject. However, another player seemed to be taking over the role of enhancing the cohesion of the municipal inhabitants: the library. Along with cultural centers, the libraries are modernizing and are becoming hubs for all social groups. Through volunteers and encounters of all social groups, the libraries and/or cultural centers manage to add to the social cohesion within municipalities. It is advised to keep up with this trend, while also educating policy experts on strategies to enhance social cohesion through cultural policies by bundling knowledge and collaborating with umbrella and specialized organizations. The libraries and cultural centers alone should not be responsible for the social cohesion of municipalities.