Arts programs across America have not been immune to the effects of the Great Recession. With institutions across the country struggling financially, Terry Teachout looks at whether the voter-approved bailout of the DIA can serve as a national model.
The Atlanta Symphony's $20 million debt crisis, the closing of Palm Beach's Florida Stage, and the gutting of the New York City Opera, are just some examples of America's struggling arts environment. What can these and other institutions learn from the 10-year-long dedicated property-tax increase recently approved by voters in three counties served by the DIA?
According to Teachout, "To begin with, the DIA showed it was serious about money by slashing
every thimbleful of fat out of its budget. It simultaneously showed
itself to be responsive to the wishes of its patrons by undertaking an
imaginative reinstallation of the museum's permanent collection that was
both user-friendly and artistically responsible. Then, when the DIA
asked for public funding, it sweetened the pill with an equally
imaginative free-admission plan that targeted not just Detroiters but
local suburbanites."
"Contrast the DIA's approach with that of the Atlanta Symphony," writes Teachout, "which
is opting for innovation-free budget cutting instead of root-and-branch
institutional transformation."
"Cutting is not enough. You also have to think creatively and be willing
to take risks, as the DIA did when it asked the people of Detroit and
its suburbs to agree to a tax increase."
FULL STORY: Why Arts Managers Short of Cash Are Looking at Detroit
Office Vacancies Drag Down Property Taxes
Downtown office buildings around the country are selling for much lower prices than before the pandemic, prompting questions about the future of central business districts.
A New Housing Affordability Hurdle: Property Taxes
Skyrocketing home values are driving up property tax bills, putting lower-income homeowners at risk of losing their homes.
Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)