Arts Districts

Colorful umbrellas over an alleyway in RiNo Arts District, Denver, Colorado

A DIY Approach to Developing Creative Arts Districts

Communities in Colorado are using a do-it-yourself process known as “Call Yourself Creative” to establish new neighborhoods that leverage the arts for community and economic development goals.

March 9, 2023 - Ronnique Bishop

A view up Santa Fe Drive in Denver. Stores and construction are visible along the street, and Downtown Denver looms in the background.

Denver Wants Ground Floor Retail, Sidewalk Extensions to Achieve Main Street 'Vibe'

The Arts District on Santa Fe Drive is considered one of Denver's final frontiers for revitalization. Local stakeholders are targeting zoning changes as a potential solution.

March 13, 2022 - The Denver Post

Minneapolis Arts District

A Tale of Arts-Driven Gentrification in Northeast Minneapolis

It's a familiar story: artists who flocked to an underused district for the low prices and plentiful space now find themselves inundated by new money, newcomers, and lots of craft beer.

September 20, 2018 - Minneapolis Post

New Orleans Musicians

How Will Pricey Cities House Their Artists?

With rents on the rise even in "inexpensive" cities like New Orleans, artists and musicians are getting priced out. Affordable housing designated for artists is one way to help them stay.

February 10, 2017 - PBS NewsHour

Opa-Locka, Florida

Germane Barnes' Vision for Opa-Locka

Known for its unique Moorish Revival architecture, and beset by a host of urban problems, the Miami suburb may have found its savior in Germane Barnes. The young architect and planner aims to revitalize the area without gentrifying it.

December 6, 2015 - Curbed

Small Town Art

Are Small Towns the Next Arts Districts?

As rising costs expel artists from urban cores, some small towns are positioning themselves as unlikely magnets for creative expression.

November 12, 2015 - Nonprofit Quarterly

East L.A. Arts

On the Natural Urbanism of East L.A. Artists

The planning process often suffers from a lack of community engagement. According to James Rojas, planners can learn from the on-the-ground urbanism of artists in East L.A.

May 5, 2015 - KCET

Small Town Art

Artists Breathe New Life Into Pennsylvania Town

Long suffering Rust Belt woes and lacking the name recognition of a Pittsburgh or Detroit, York opened its doors to another overlooked group: artists. The results so far are impressive.

April 29, 2015 - Belt Magazine

Artists Feel Gentrification Pressure in Bushwick

The Brooklyn Brief attended the recent eighth edition oft the Bushwick Open Studios annual art event. There the blog heard from artists concerned about the growing expenses of living in the neighborhood.

June 14, 2014 - Brooklyn Brief

LA Artist Reopens Derelict JC Penney As Art Complex

An LA based artist is about reopen a 100,000 square foot disused JC Penney as an arts complex in West Houston. The former West Oaks Mall anchor had been vacant for two years before becoming the focus of the new rehab concept.

December 13, 2011 - Swamplot.com

"Civic Action" Examines Art's Role In Development

The Noguchi museum in New York has asked four artists to take a crack at city planning by offering a new way of interpreting the construction of urban fabric. Martha Schwendener evaluates the results.

December 10, 2011 - The New York Times

Embracing Baltimore's Existing Arts Districts, Not Creating New Ones

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake wants to turn the city's west side into an arts district. This article from The Baltimore Sun argues that the city already has enough arts districts and should focus efforts on those.

April 11, 2010 - The Baltimore Sun

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