Americans for the Arts

In this paper, Lyz Crane draws on the work of practitioners and researchers to characterize the field of arts-based community development in which arts and culture can help achieve place based change related to the physical, social, and economic dimensions of place.  From the premise that the existence of arts is considered a powerful end in itself, Crane then outlines the variety of ways that the actors and activities involved in arts and community development work can relate to and interact with each other to create sustainable communities.  Looking at the cultural ecology of

Local arts agencies—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments—are an essential tool for community leaders as they rebuild their economies and promote social cohesion. The nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs) support, present, and promote the dynamic value of the arts. Through their partnerships and leadership, LAAs are building healthier communities through the arts.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.

This analysis offers recommendations to help decision-makers in the city and region make the corridor safer for everyone, improve the economic prospects (and equity) of the area, and provide new opportunities for adding housing and jobs — all while avoiding displacement of the vital communities of residents and businesses that call the Pike home today. [Executive Summary]

This infographic provides highlishts from the National Endowment for the Arts work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to produce a survey to better understand the impact of arts and cultural events on Americans’ housing choices.

To better understand the impact of local arts and cultural events on Americans’ choices about where to live, researchers at the National Endowment for the Arts worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to ask a series of questions as part of the 2015 American Housing Survey (AHS). The AHS is a HUD-sponsored national household survey that the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) administers every two years. The questions were designed to measure the value that U.S. residents place on living convenient to arts and cultural events, householder satisfaction with access

Due to the financial consequences from the Great Recession, many US communities have been unable to make significant progress in preparing to meet the needs of the country’s rapidly aging population. The Maturing of America—Communities Moving Forward for an Aging Population, a follow-up to an extensive survey conducted in 2005, reveals that at best, communities have managed to maintain the status quo for the past six years due to the decline in the overall economy and local government budgets.

This report presents the findings of an effort undertaken by the Urban Institute to validate a set of candidate indicators for creative placemaking initiatives. Creative placemaking is described as a process or endeavor in which “partners from public, private, non-profit and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city or region around arts and cultural activities.” [Executive Summary p. 2]

The third annual Soul of the Community report prodcued by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup was conducted over three years in 26 cities across the United States where Knight Foundation is active. It was designed to find out what emotionally attaches people to a community — what makes them want to put down roots and build a life there.

This report aims to bridge a knowledge gap between the affordable housing and healthcare fields that limits their ability to implement health and housing projects and partnerships. These two sectors have begun to realize how much they overlap, but while great work has been done to expose practitioners in both fields to information about their shared interests and common goals, the results to date have been relatively modest. [Executive Summary p. 4]

The report released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition in March 2017 by finds that no state has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters.

The report first explores the way in which housing can affect the lives and success of individuals, and how the effect varies for different segments of the population.

A decade after the onset of the Great Recession, the national housing market is finally returning to normal. With incomes rising and household growth strengthening, the housing sector is poised to become an important engine of economic growth. But not all households and not all markets are thriving, and affordability pressures remain near record levels. Addressing the scale and complexity of need requires a renewed national commitment to expand the range of housing options available for an increasingly diverse society. [Executive Summary, p.1]

This scan also indicates that the fields of creative placemaking and affordable housing need each other to be effective and also need to better consider each other as they endeavor to accomplish the overall goal of building healthy communities of opportunity.

This summary provides the key findings of How Art Spaces Matter: II, the second in a series of studies commissioned by Artspace and conducted by Metris Arts Consulting which explores how and why art spaces benefit in-house artists, arts organizations, and surrounding neighborhoods and regions.