On the occasion of the 8th ASEF Public Forum on Creative Cities in Asia and Europe, which was held in Gwangju, Korea, in late November, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) presented a new publication entitled Cities: Living Labs for Culture?, which presents essays and case studies from a range of authors and countries in both Asia and Europe. Among the contributing authors if Fionnuala Croke, the Chair of ASEMUS, with an article entitled "What role for cultural institutions in shaping creative cities?" The publication showcases 27 examples of policy and practice drawing from the experiences of over 40 cities in Asia and Europe. The variety of cases in this publication offer good opportunities for knowledge exchange between cities in Asia and Europe and provide learning arenas for artists, arts managers, educators, urban planners as well as public sector representatives. Cities of today are becoming vibrant spaces for experimentation, a process in which culture has come to occupy a central place. ‘Creative cities’ and ‘capitals of culture’ that have emerged across Asia and Europe attest to the growing importance of these dynamic new centres of arts and creativity. Cities are also emerging as epicentres for effective policymaking, as they are often able to act quickly and offer more integrated responses. Therefore, it may be argued that cities in Asia and Europe are indeed evolving into 'living labs for culture'. The publication is available for download at http://asef.org/pubs/asef-publications/3703-cities-living-labs-for-culture-