Managing Urban And Regional Development Through European Capital Of Culture Programme And Creative Industries With Application On The City Of Osijek

European Capital of Culture is a thriving cultural programme of the European Union, with benefits for the cultural life of cities and regions and also for the economic development of some of the titleholders. Development of cultural and creative sector – cultural and creative industries – is an integral part of the economic development of cities who decide to run for the European Capital of Culture title. (Cultural) tourism and the overall economy of the region are also developed directly through the project. In 2020, for the first time in history of the project, one city from the Republic of Croatia will hold the European Capital of Culture title. This is a great opportunity for Osijek as a regional center – there is a possibility of redefining and reprogramming city development strategies and the possibility of a new positioning within the European Union. The paper provides an overview of the connections of the European Capital of Culture and urban and regional development through the growth of the cultural and creative sector, and also brings a draft of a successful development strategy for Osijek and the region in the context of this programme. The purpose of the survey is to identify trends in the development of the creative sector within the European Capital of Culture, and the attempt to forecast what would be the positive effects of the programme on Osijek. It provides an overview of the possible directions of development in the city's independent candidacy, regional and macro-regional candidacy (Osijek - Eastern Croatian – Pannonian candidacy).