URBAN PLANNING and ASSET BUILDING

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What is Cultural Vitality, How is it Measured?
Community Indicators Consortium Jacksonville,
Florida March, 2007
D. Garth Taylor, President Metro Chicago
Information Center
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Three Ways of Thinking About Cultural Vitality
1 Economic value of the arts/culture
industry2 Attractiveness of places3
Component of community development
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1 Economic Value of the Arts Visitors
Tends to focus on larger, formal, regional
attractions, e.g. . . . Navy Pier ? more
visitors / year than all other leisure
attractions in the State of Illinois COMBINED
x Multiplier
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1 Economic Value of the Arts Establishments
Arts establishments per 1,000 population
x Multiplier
InfoUSA 1,875 For-profit and NFP, and individuals
CBP Zip Code 873 NFP and for-profit orgs
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1 Economic Value of the Arts Employees
? 20,730 professional artists, designers,
writers, actors, choreographers, etc. ? 27,960
arts support, directors, technicians, etc.
x Multiplier
in Chicago Metro Area (BLS)
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Three Ways of Thinking About Cultural Vitality
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2 Attractiveness of Places Art Magnets
Tends to focus on larger, formal, regional
attractions, e.g. . . .
Institutions with annual attendance gt 20 of
regions population
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2 Attractiveness of places Arts participation
(i.e., attendance)
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2 Attractiveness of places Arts participation
(i.e., attendance)
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2 Attractiveness of places attract creative
workers
? 467,760 Super Creative Core workers in
Chicago area economy
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2 Attractiveness of places Attract the
attractors
20,730 professional artists, designers, writers,
actors, choreographers . . . . . . have to be
able to live and practice somewhere nearby
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Three Ways of Thinking About Cultural Vitality
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3 Community Development Discovery of Informal
Arts Participation
It would appear that negligible arts activity is
occurring in many of the community areas . . .
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3 Community Development Discovery of Informal
Arts Participation
. . . when more than likely, what is occurring
is just not statistically documented.
Alaka Wali et al. (2002) The Informal Arts
Finding Cohesion, Capacity And Other Cultural
Benefits In Unexpected Places
Continuum of Arts Participation
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3 Community Development Informal Arts
Participation
Sites for Informal participation . . . Park
district performance facilities Community
Cultural Centers Libraries Churches Community
Service Centers Historical Societies Parade
Routes Bookstores Galleries Bars, Coffee Houses
Sites for Formal participation . . .
Museums Galleries Performance venues Commercial
centers
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3 Support Community Development Informal Arts
Participation
Mappable Data Sources
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3 Support Community Development Informal Arts
Participation
Conclusion . . . Informal arts participation is
clustered . . . . . . But it appears not as much
Tract scores
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3 Support Community Development Informal Arts
Participation
Informal arts participation appears to correlate
with positive community outcomes
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3 Support Community Development Providers of
Informal Arts
3.48 Million in Chicago area engage in some form
of public artistic display each year (Survey of
Public Participation)
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3 Support Community Development Informal
Artists as Community Investors

• Wali et al . . .
• 75 percent had set aside a room in their homes
  for arts practice. ? Home rehab expenses?
• On average, informal artists surveyed spent over
  1,000 annually on training materials, supplies,
  class/workshop fees, and travel.

? Need more systematic data spending to support
personal informal arts activity
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3 Support Community Development Where do the
providers of informal arts live?
? Perhaps informal artists are the explanation
why the distribution of arts establishments is
much more dispersed than the distribution of
central cultural attractions, or the pattern of
attendance in formal arts institutions
Arts establishments per 1,000 population
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Three Ways of Thinking About Cultural Vitality
What is Cultural Vitality, How is it Measured?
1 Economic value of the arts/culture
industry counts, multipliers2 Attractiveness
of places attendance, magnets, attracting
desirable workers, attracting the attractors
3 Component of community development informal
arts participation, contribution to places,
importance of the providers as investors and
patrons