Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
© Copyright 2003 by the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and Grantmakers in the Arts
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nities, revitalizing older neighborhoods, The arts have become a focal point for
keeping housing affordable, protecting community building, while the smart
open space, and creating diverse new growth movement has become a focal
communities and neighborhoods that point for creating better places. In some
have greater access to mass transit and communities, the overlap of these two
less dependency on automobiles. In movements is the key to a community-
many cities, mixed-use development, building strategy. In other communities,
including live-work housing, is a popu- the two movements proceed along sepa-
lar strategy that combines residential rate tracks. The purpose of this paper is
and commercial uses and that provides to explore the role each plays in build-
both customers for local merchants and ing communities and the potential they
ridership for local transit. have to work together to this end.
Case Studies
Urban Communities
In urban settings, the arts and activities Entertainment Districts” —but only if
that promote smart growth can work they are located inside “smart growth” In urban settings,
together to revitalize older, distressed investment areas targeted by the state. the arts and
neighborhoods by creating spaces for
the arts and artists in ways that also The most familiar urban role of the arts activities that
restore the urban fabric and reinforce a is to rescue and “reseed” older areas that promote smart
sense of community. The best-known have fallen into disuse and suffered growth can work
and best-documented evidence of the from disinvestment. Arts organizations
strength of an alliance between the two do not go to the inner city only in a
together to revitalize
is found in urban settings. Many urban spirit of altruism, but often with a sense older, distressed
neighborhoods have struggled so much of opportunism. They are seeking neighborhoods by
in recent decades that they need both affordable space, and the positive creating spaces for
revived communities of interest and changes in the neighborhood are a kind
revived communities of place. In partic- of spillover or trickle-down effect. The the arts and artists
ular, the willingness of artists to live and role of arts organizations in the gentrifi- in ways that also
work in the same location provides cation of inner-city areas has become a restore the urban
valuable building blocks for strong well-worn cliché. A few artists, followed
urban communities of place: work, in turn by galleries, coffee houses, and
fabric and reinforce
housing, and the social networks that second-hand stores, become the vehicle a sense of
Putnam described as human capital. for reinvestment and an eventual rush community.
of affluent urban professionals in search
Arts organizations are leaders in re- of historic real estate at bargain prices.
using neglected or under-valued build-
ings. Sometimes this happens in an The Village of Arts and
unplanned, piecemeal way, such as the Humanities, Philadelphia
ways that certain now-famous arts dis- Smart growth is concerned with com-
tricts—SoHo or TriBeCa in New York munity as well as with real estate. In
or the South-of-Market district of San some cases, the arts can fill a crucial
Francisco—became popular with artists. need by providing education and creat-
In more recent years, some arts organi- ing community institutions otherwise
zations, such as ArtSpace Projects of lacking in harsh, neglected inner-city
Minneapolis, Minnesota, or the Arts neighborhoods. One outstanding exam-
Council for Chautauqua County (New ple of arts-as-community-builder is the
York), have learned to combine plan- Village of Arts and Humanities in
ning, arts activities, and real estate North Philadelphia. This project began
development in a sophisticated and 16 years ago when artist Lily Yeh
powerful way with art-related uses received $2,500 from the Pennsylvania
becoming a kind of juggernaut to bring Council on the Arts to design a neigh-
both people and their social networks borhood park. Working with neighbor-
into urban areas. Sometimes public pol- hood children over a several-year peri-
icy makers can combine arts and smart od, she cleared trash, planted trees and
growth policy in a way that reinforces brought a park to life.
both communities of interest and com-
munities place. For example, the State Today, The Village of Arts and
of Maryland provides communities with Humanities Arts is a private, nonprofit
financial assistance to set up “Arts and community-based organization that is
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Several surviving churches in the newly- the dream, and already completed is the
designated Folklife Village were conse- Poinciana Village, a new apartment
crated in the 1890s, and are among the complex that has attracted, in Dr.
six buildings in the two-block area that Fields’ words, “yuppies, buppies, and
are now listed on the National Register cuppies.” (The last acronym refers to
of Historic Places. Fields’ intention for Cuban Urban Professionals.) In 1999,
the Village is to make it a “living histo- Florida’s Secretary of State designated
ry museum for residents in the region the Historic Folklife Village as a Main
and the visitor-tourist industry.” Street Community.
The initial step was the acquisition and Asheville Urban Trail
renovation of the Lyric Theater, a Asheville, North Carolina, has found a
vaudeville house built in 1913 by an connection between history, tourism,
African-American developer inspired by and urban vitality. While at 68,000
the opera houses of Europe. The Black people the city is not large, Asheville is
Archives Board of Directors acquired a regionally significant center. Nestled
the building in 1988 and spent much of between the Blue Ridge and Smokey
the 1990s restoring it with the assis- Mountains, Asheville has long been
tance of grants from the John S. and known not only for natural beauty but
James L. Knight Foundation, the also for handsome city design—a legacy
Florida Humanities Council, local city, of the plans done in the early 20th
county and state grants, and the Century by the well-known city planner
National Endowment for the Arts. Dr. John Nolen.
Fields recalled writing grants from
12:00 midnight to 6:00 a.m., when her The preservation of historic buildings in
children were asleep. Eventually, the downtown Asheville is, in some sense,
theater re-opened in 2000 as a perform- the result of benign neglect. During the
ing-arts venue, with emphasis on jazz years between the Great Depression and
and the culture of the Harlem until the 1970s and 1980s, the city
Renaissance and the Black Diaspora, experienced very little development.
with the help of grant money from Today, however, having built on this
Dade Community Foundation. Many now-renowned inventory of historic
people who formerly lived in structures, downtown Asheville is a
Overtown, or whose parents or grand- thriving center with more than 50 art
parents lived and sought entertainment galleries and many crafts-related busi-
in the formerly segregated area, are nesses.
returning as tourists.
In an effort to make downtown
The overall vision for the Village Asheville more of a destination, a com-
includes ethnic restaurants, African and mittee of city officials, landscape archi-
Caribbean bed-and-breakfast hotels, tects, and artists created Asheville’s
neighborhood retail, and street festivals. “Urban Trail.” Comprising more than
Education is also part of the ambition: 30 pieces of public art along with the
the Village is planning to work with six city’s own landmarks, the Urban Trail
local colleges and universities to train forms a “spatial narrative” aimed at
students in business, architecture, hotel making Asheville’s story accessible to
management, historic preservation, and both tourists and residents. The art-
marketing. Housing, including loft works are not stand-alone objects but
housing for artists, is another part of are subordinated to a larger, coordinat-
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ed scheme of educating visitors about than 100,000 maps are distributed each
the city’s history. The art pieces include year. In October 2002, the Urban Trail
a bronze replica of author Thomas organized an Urban Trail Arts Festival,
Wolfe’s size 13 shoes, which many chil- using the stations of the trail as settings
dren step into while on the tour; a for what event organizers describe as
horse-head fountain that replicates an “enactments, demonstrations and the-
early downtown Asheville civic land- atrical vignettes.”
mark; and a sculpture that includes five
bronze Appalachian dancers and musi- The specific nature of the story allows
cians, with a bronze fiddle and quilt set the Urban Trail to do more than help
on a nearby bench. revitalize its downtown area. It brings
back to life a forgotten history, embed-
The Urban Trail is truly a cooperative ded in Asheville but found in many
Arts-based effort. The trail itself is maintained by other cities as well: the neglected sto-
the Asheville Department of Parks & ries of women, working people, and
redevelopment in Recreation, and the promotion and people of color. The resurrection of
the suburbs holds educational programs are run by the these civic memories through art can
high promise. Asheville Area Arts Council. The Urban help people feel a renewed sense of con-
Most Americans Trail has proven so popular that more nection to the city.
live in the suburbs,
Suburban Communities
and suburbs
themselves are Arts-based redevelopment in the sub- provide both a physical and a cultural
urbs holds high promise. Most focal point for communities that have
becoming more Americans live in the suburbs, and sub- often lacked them. The addition of new
diverse. urbs themselves are becoming more performing arts centers, gallery districts,
diverse. As the McKnight Foundation’s live-work housing, and educational pro-
recent report, A New Angle, points out, grams can help create a sense of com-
a vast number of working artists and munity, and in some cases, actual physi-
volunteer-based arts organizations suc- cal centers. Traditional suburbs have
cessfully operate in the suburbs, offering been both targeted as potential new
artistic and cultural activities to subur- markets by urban arts groups and derid-
ban residents. The report concludes that ed by smart growth advocates as lacking
the suburbs contain a vast potential arts the centered and diverse physical form
infrastructure—a large number of necessary to establish strong communi-
artists, a significant market, and a con- ties of place. These two views need not
siderable donor base. be mutually exclusive. Thousands of
suburbs contain older downtowns and
At the same time, many suburban resi- neighborhoods that can provide a core
dents are underserved by the arts, and for revitalization, and, increasingly,
the demand for theater, dance, exhibi- newer suburbs seek to create new cen-
tion space, and performance spaces is ters that are vital and intense. Both can
high. This demand creates opportuni- nurture and showcase the arts, combin-
ties for arts venues and arts-based com- ing communities of interest and com-
munity activity even in the newest sub- munities of place to strengthen the
urbs. community fabric in suburbs.
that contains housing, corporate and But the power of the arts in suburban
retail activity, and culture—is built on Santa Clarita stretches beyond the smart
top of several “old” suburban communi- growth “Town Center” to the older and
ties (including the old towns of struggling commercial district of
Newhall and Saugus) that provide Newhall. Because it contains a number
cheap space and a different sense of of aging, low-rent buildings, Newhall is
place. It is the combination of these two a critical arts resource for Santa Clarita.
place-oriented experiences that make At least two theater groups, one reper-
suburban culture in Santa Clarita a tory and one equity-waiver, have con-
powerful experience. verted older industrial or commercial
buildings in Newhall. Canyon Theater
Two of these types of experiences are in Guild, which has been operating for 32
many ways typical of suburban cultural years in a series of spaces, is currently
experiences. In the Town Center, a pri- renting an industrial building on the
vate developer has provided a variety of Sierra Highway, where it offers main-
performance venues inside Santa stream fare such as “The Music Man.”
Clarita’s regional mall and along Town Santa Clarita Repertory, on the other
Center Drive, a shopping street that hand, is an equity-waiver8 group that
serves as the focus of Santa Clarita’s presents edgier fare, such as “New
Arts organizations downtown-like environment. Typical West” by playwright Sam Shepard. The
can function as offerings include a summer concert repertory theater is supported by a wide
series and a jazz series, both free to the variety of donors, including the Henry
economic public. While some observers may dis- Mayo Newhall Family Foundation, a
development by miss such performances as merely pro- local family grantmaker.
providing a new motional for the mall, the concerts do
provide performance opportunities for In Santa Clarita, it is the combination
economic base for local artists. In addition, the city spon- of experiences in a variety of settings—
towns that have sors a variety of arts activities, including all of which have the physical “centered-
lost traditional the annual Cowboy Poetry Festival. ness” characteristic of smart growth—
economies in (Much of Santa Clarita is built on a that brings both coherence and diversity
ranch once owned by Western movie to the suburban arts and culture scene
agriculture, star William S. Hart). just outside Los Angeles.
manufacturing, or
the extraction of Small Towns and Rural Communities
natural resources. One important principle of smart The Arts Council for
growth is the preservation of rural com- Chautauqua County, New York
munities, and many small towns floun- One of the most important tenets of
der and fail as their traditional indus- smart growth is the effective re-use of
tries dry up. Arts organizations can older downtowns and neighborhoods.
function as economic development by Such locations are often well suited for
providing a new economic base for “mixed use” projects, such as combining
towns that have lost traditional econo- housing and commercial space in the
mies in agriculture, manufacturing, or same building. In the case of
the extraction of natural resources. The Jamestown, a small city in western New
arts can also reinforce the “smart York, the moving force in revitalizing
growth” character that gives many rural the downtown area has been the Arts
towns their distinctive character. Council for Chautauqua County, which
created a development corporation on
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farm tours that provide something for ers, etc. “We reversed the traditional
the tourist in search of experiences in economic pattern of things, by bringing
addition to mountain scenery. The Trail the market to the farmer, rather than
System takes advantage of a huge, exist- the other way around,” says Anderson.
ing tourism business that draws 20 mil-
lion people annually to established des- Anderson, who says she writes a grant
tinations such as the Blue Ridge proposal every week, has attracted spon-
Parkway, the Biltmore Estate, and sorship from dozens of organizations,
resorts in the Great Smoky Mountains. including the Appalachian Regional
Currently, the Trail System is 200 miles Commission, Community Foundation
in length and connects 320 private arts- of Western North Carolina, and the
and crafts-related businesses, including Pew Partnership for Civic Change.
potteries, blacksmith shops, glassblow-
Two Challenges
Although the arts and smart growth are This challenge is not new to the smart
often effective partners, many challen- growth movement or to urban and
ges remain that advocates for each can community revitalization efforts gener-
face together. Two are mentioned here. ally. Maintaining a diverse mix of resi-
dents—in terms of income, culture, and
A familiar challenge to many urban arts profession—is clearly an essential part
communities is the need to minimize of any effort to build stronger commu-
the risk of gentrification. Artists have nities. A variety of mechanisms will
long been viewed as both the perpetra- have to be employed to deal with prob-
tors and the victims of gentrification in lems of gentrification. Among the possi-
lower-income neighborhoods. On the bilities are creating live/work spaces that
one hand, artists who move into an are permanently restricted to artists and
inexpensive neighborhood sometimes constructing a mix of housing types
improve both its reputation and its with subsidies available to longtime
physical presence which, in turn, can local residents who are not artists. In
increase rents and drive out lower- any case, neither arts nor smart growth
income residents. At the same time, as advocates can shy away from this tough
their neighborhoods become more challenge.
attractive, the artists themselves run the
risk of being priced out by real estate A second general challenge arises from
speculators and affluent professionals. the fact that many artists, arts organiza-
Page 15
tions, and arts participants live and has theaters and galleries, even if they
work in suburbs. As the McKnight are only rarely willing to go downtown
report found, the suburbs contain an for big-ticket cultural events.
arts infrastructure with great poten-
tial—the artists and donors are a These two challenges—gentrification
resource, but they are an underserved and “dumb” growth—offer examples of
market in terms of facilities and pro- lessons to be learned and opportunities
grams. At the same time, most subur- to be found. Advocates in both fields
ban communities built in the last 40 can play important roles in shaping
years do not adhere to smart growth strategies to bring the arts and smart
principles that encourage strong com- growth together. For many years, smart
munities of place. By smart growth growth advocates sought to alter public
advocates, the nature of most suburban policy on urban design without com-
development might be called “dumb municating with artists—or with any
growth.” Suburbs are often sprawling, other constituency that could benefit
auto-oriented, and without focus or a from an improved physical environ-
center. An opportunity emerges here ment. Working with the arts could fur-
where the arts and smart growth inter- ther many smart growth goals. Arts
ests intersect. The combination of arts organizations can respond to urban and
resources and potential market demand suburban problems in ways that con- ...there is no
means that arts activities might be able ventional real estate-based urban devel- question that the
to become a potent force in suburban opment strategies cannot. Artists and
place-making. arts organizations have the ability to arts and smart
proceed incrementally, taking advantage growth can learn
Suburbs are not monolithic in physical of what already exists, and improvising from each other
terms any more than they are monolith- when necessary or possible. Other
ic economically or culturally. Old urban pioneers can do the same, of and build a more
downtowns, distinctive neighborhoods, course, but the arts offer something powerful sense
and even some new developments pro- more. They bring their business, social, of community—
vide focus and centers for otherwise and creative connections—their com- whether
undistinguished suburban environ- munities of interest—that can help cre-
ments. If a newer suburb lacks arts ven- ate the human networks essential to community of
ues, people appear perfectly willing to making streets and buildings and spaces interest or
travel to an older, nearby suburb that into communities. community of
place—if they
work together.
Conclusion
For the two fields to succeed together, arts patrons to understand the nature of
artists and arts organizations must be their constituency. In the end, however,
open to the “power of place” that smart there is no question that the arts and
growth represents, and they must be smart growth can learn from each other
willing to accept the “reality check” of and build a more powerful sense of
urban planning policy and private real community—whether community of
estate investment. In return, smart interest or community of place—if they
growth advocates must be willing to work together.
turn to artists, arts organizations, and
Endnotes
1. William Fulton is president of Solimar Research Group, a public policy research firm based in Ventura, California, that deals with
metropolitan growth, urban planning, and economic development both in California and nationwide. Fulton is economic development
columnist for Governing magazine, founding editor of California Planning & Development Report, a monthly land-use newsletter, and
writes frequently for the Sunday Opinion Section of The Los Angeles Times. He is the author of four books, including The Reluctant
Metropolis: The Politics of Urban Growth in Los Angeles and The Regional City: Planning for the End of Sprawl, co-authored with
Peter Calthorpe. Fulton earned his B.A. in Mass Communications from St. Bonaventure University, an M.A. in Journalism/Public
Affairs from American University, and an M.A. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a trombonist in
the Ventura Klezmer Band, which has just released its first CD, West Coast Klezmer.
2. Morris Newman is a graduate from the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and is frequent freelance
contributor to many newspapers and magazines, including Architecture, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Landscape
Architecture, Metropolis, Planning and Progressive Architecture. Newman has served as a contributing writer and columnist for
California Planning & Development Report for many years, where he has documented the latest trends in urban redevelopment and
urban design. The winner of several journalism awards from the American Planning Association, California Chapter, Newman is also
writing a book about urban housing with architect Stefanos Polyzoides. In his spare time, Newman is an enthusiastic amateur
musician, playing harpsichord, piano, clarinet and saxophone.
3. See, for example, Psilos, Phil. “The Role of the Arts in Economic Development.” National Governors Association Center for Best
Practices. 2001. Available at http://www.nga.org/center/divisions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEF%5ED_2225,00.html; McNulty, Robert
H., Dorothy R. Jacobson, and R. Leo Penne. The Economics of Amenity: Community Futures and Quality of Life. Washington, DC:
Partners for Livable Communities. 1985; Working papers presented at “Building Creative Economies: The Arts, Entrepreneurship,
and Sustainable Development in Appalachia.” Available at http://www.nea.gov/partner/BCE/BCE.html.
4. For more information about the Arts and the Environment program, see the Community Arts Council of Vancouver's website,
http://www.cacv.bc.ca/.
5. Stern, Mark J. “Dimensions of Regional Arts and Cultural Participation in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area.” Working Paper No. 9.
Conference Proceedings. “Social Impact of the Arts Project.” University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work. July 1999. Available
at http://www.ssw.upenn.edu/SIAP.
6. Bye, Carolyn. A New Angle: Arts Development in the Suburbs. Minneapolis: The McKnight Foundation. 2002. Available at
http://www.mcknight.org/arts/angle.asp.
7. An “Edge City” is defined as a suburban center with at least five million square feet of office space and at least 600,000 square
feet of retail space. Garreau, Joel. Edge City: Life on the New Frontier. New York: Doubleday. 1991.
8. An “equity waiver” theater is a theater with 99 or fewer seats, which is permitted to waive standard contract rules with actors, thus
allowing for less expensive productions.
9. Bye, Carolyn. A New Angle: Arts Development in the Suburbs. Minneapolis: The McKnight Foundation. 2002. Available at
http://www.mcknight.org/arts/angle.asp; Villani, John. The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America: Discover Creative Communities,
Fresh Air, and Affordable Living. Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Publications. 1998.