Abstract
The idea that city culture can be employed as a driver for urban development has become part of the new orthodoxy by which cities seek to enhance their competitive position. Such development reflect not only the rise to prominence of the cultural sphere in the city development, but also how the meaning of culture has been refined to include new uses in order to meet the main objectives of sustainable development. This study focuses on the procedure how the cultural infrastructure and historical context can be applied for urban regeneration strategy. Two successful cases (Bilbao, Spain and Yokohama, Japan) were selected for analysis of strategies as a whole, background, main characteristics of culture-led urban regeneration strategies and their effect for urban regeneration have been analyzed in detail. In conclusion, lessons for the future development were suggested in terms of resources, planning and linking strategies.