Creative Placemaking

ORGANIZATION:
National Endowment for the Arts, United States Conference of Mayors, American Architectural Foundation

Author +
Ann Markusen (Markusen Economic Research Services), Anne Gadwa (Matris Arts Consulting)

Year: 2010

Creative Placemaking explores the livability and economic development outcomes of creative placemaking, whereby cross-sector partners strategically shape the physical and social character of locales around arts and cultural activities. The research summarizes two decades of creative American placemaking, drawing on original economic research and case studies of path breaking initiatives in large and small cities, metropolitan to rural.

The report is a resource for mayors, arts organizations, the philanthropic sector, and others interested in understanding strategies for leveraging the arts to help shape and revitalize the physical, social, and economic character of neighborhoods, cities, and towns. A white paper for The Mayors’ Institute on City Design, a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors and American Architectural Foundation.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Arts, Culture And Creativity As Placemakers

Creative Placemaking Scale And Strategy
Outcomes: Livability And Economic Development
Creative Places As Incubators Of Arts And Cultural Enterprise
The Creative Economy
Creative Workers And Entrepreneurs
Cultural Industries
Challenges For Creative Placemaking
Forging And Sustaining Partnerships
Countering Community Skepticism
Assembling Adequate Financing
Clearing Regulatory Hurdles
Ensuring Maintenance And Sustainability
Avoiding Displacement And Gentrification
Developing Metrics For Performance And Evaluation
Components Of Successful Placemaking Initiatives
Creative Initiators
Designing Around Distinctiveness
Mobilizing Public Will
Garnering Private Sector Support
Securing Arts Community Engagement
Conclusion: Toward A Creative Placemaking Policy Platform
Placemaking Policy Platform
The Creative Economy
Creative Workers And Entrepreneurs
Cultural Industries