On 29 November 2022, the project “Regional population diversity and social cohesion in the local context” invited eminent experts from science, policy and civil society to discuss social cohesion and sense of belonging as meaningful achievements to counter demographic challenges of depopulation and ageing and prevent their negative social effects. The workshop participants exchanged their views and experiences on local cultural initiatives and regions in transition in two thematic panels on "local belonging and ties" and "regions in transition".