In the spring of 2010 a series of 9 cultural mappings of Aarhus were carried out. The themes of the cultural mappings were as follows:
Aarhus’ strategic strengths compared to other cities
Aarhus seen from the outside
Aarhus seen from the inside
Aarhus as a city of diversity
Aarhus seen from the children’s and young people's perspective
Aarhus as physical place
Aarhus as a creative city
The cultural resources in Aarhus
Aarhus as a democratic city
Cultural mapping as a method of analysis is a profound way to point out how Aarhus as a city is performing within the selected fields as well as where there is room for improvement and more focus. All of these analyses will all lead to a better understanding of the strengths of Aarhus as a city, but will also highlight any weaknesses so Aarhus will improve to the benefit of the citizens of Aarhus and thereby improve Aarhus' chances to become European Capital of Culture in 2017.