Producing Urban Vitality: The Case of Dance in San Francisco

Abstract

At the turn of the millennium, professionals and wealthy suburbanites moved into the inner city—a transition that led to an influx of profit-driven urban development. In the case of San Francisco, I argue that one central factor triggering this development process has been the increasing urban vitality of the inner city: diverse populations engaged in multiple economic, social, and political activities enacting lively streets of strong character. This wide range of urban actors has produced a variety of goods and services through the broadening and strengthening of their social networks, resulting in the construction of unique places. Thus it is at the intersection of these diverse activities, multiple networks, and unique places that the inner-city neighborhoods produce major urban vitality. This study focuses on the work of two dance troupes in San Francisco, Flyaway Productions and De Rompe y Raja, as producer of urban vitality and as a window of observation for a broader development process.

Keywords:

• urban vitality
• urban development
• cultural production
• dance
• inner city