Arts consumers’ place-visioning as a tool for planning creative neighborhoods

ABSTRACT

Neighborhoods in the urban context have varied stages of life-cycles, from emergent areas through to hyper-developed locales. These neighborhoods depend upon both visitors and residents to secure their revenue and foster economic growth. Arts and entertainment events are popular interventions in the municipal toolkit, often including art fairs, gallery walks, and music festivals, which can build social networks and foster connection to place. This study integrates the data from 1,111 usable survey responses gleaned from three arts-related events: a monthly gallery hop, an annual art fair, and a recurring music-based festival. These occurred in three neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio: (1) Short North, a neighborhood that has fostered a well-known brand as an arts and cultural destination; (2) Downtown, a neighborhood in which large anchor arts institutions and performance venues are located; and, (3) Franklinton, a neighborhood in the process of establishing an identity by using arts and culture as a focal point. Respondents were queried as to their vision regarding a variety of creative aspects of the three neighborhoods. We ask, what can we learn from these potential consumers of culture with regards to the optimal development and creative sector offerings of these neighborhoods? Can the opinions of demand-side individuals inform municipal cultural policy decisions? Understanding that neighborhoods have varied life-cycles, what are ways that urban planners, developers, and municipal actors could utilize survey data to strategize for a city’s long-term growth? While we found common preferences for social spaces, arts events, and craft food and beverages across all locations, the data revealed that arts and culture is viewed by respondents differently in the three neighborhoods. It is seen as entertainment in the Short North, as an amenity Downtown, and as a lifestyle in Franklinton. Policy recommendations integrate the concepts of creative placemaking, place-visioning, community engagement, and policy learning and adaptation—all with the goal of matching strategies to consumer preferences.

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank the Emeritus Academy of The Ohio State University.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shoshanah B. D. Goldberg-Miller

Shoshanah B. D. Goldberg-Miller is Associate Professor in the Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy at The Ohio State University. Dr. Goldberg-Miller is also an Affiliate Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning at OSU’s Knowlton School of Architecture. She researches creative economic development, cultural policy, arts entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management, examining how cities use arts and culture in planning, fostering livable communities and creating economic development strategies to build their brand, attract residents and tourists, and distinguish themselves from other urban centers worldwide. Dr. Goldberg-Miller’s book, Planning for a City of Culture: Creative Urbanism in Toronto and New York (Routledge 2017) brings a new, fresh perspective to the study of creative cities by using policy theory as an underlying construct to understand the role of arts and culture in both the transformation of Toronto and the revitalization of New York during the 2000s. She has published in Journal of Urbanism, City, Culture and Society, Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, Cities, Artivate, and Journal of Enterprising Culture, and has coauthored chapters in Entrepreneurship in Culture and Creative Industries and Creating Cultural Capital.

Joe E. Heimlich

Joe E. Heimlich is Senior Director of Research at COSI, and a researcher in COSI’s Center for Research and Evaluation at COSI. He is also an Academy Professor Emeritus with The Ohio State University, where he served as Extension Specialist in museums and organizational capacity building, Leader, Environmental Science for OSUE, and held appointments in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, the Environmental Science Graduate Program, and the College of Education and Human Ecology. Joe’s research focus is lifelong learning about and in the environment, with interests in integration of social role, context, and conditions of the visit. He has written over 125 academic articles, books, and chapters and well over 300 popular publications.

Rebecca F. Kemper

Rebecca F. Kemper is a researcher at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) within the Center for Research and Evaluation division. Her research is focused upon the knowledge economy and its impact upon urban environments, informal learning spaces, and changes within continuing education. Her work has been most recently featured within The Routledge Handbook of International Planning Education (2020).