Artscape advances ‘Making Space for Culture Toolkit’ at WCCF Summit

Artscape’s Creative Placemaking Lab had the pleasure this month of sitting down with deputy mayors and leading culture policymakers from around the world to discuss policy and strategies for creating and protecting creative spaces. While participating in the World Cities Culture Summit in San Francisco, the Creative Placemaking Lab led a workshop developed in partnership with BOP Consulting in London to showcase and develop our Making Space for Culture toolkit.

Artscape has a strong reputation for success in leveraging different tools and strategies in developing valuable community spaces for art and creativity – and we’ve certainly used this experience as a jumping off point in consolidating and describing policy tools such as the use of ‘planning gain’ (applied through Section 37 agreements here in Ontario) and the redevelopment of publicly-owned property.

However, there are so many unique variations and approaches being used around the world to respond to the particular challenge of safeguarding cultural and creative spaces. Throughout the process of developing the toolkit, CPL and BOP Consulting spoke to municipal leaders from Amsterdam, Stockholm, San Francisco, Taipei, Sydney and London to help share and describe the unique programs and policies that are being used in their jurisdictions.

The workshop at the summit San Francisco provided an additional opportunity to engage a much larger group and foster connections that will be critical in taking the toolkit to the next level. Our hope is that we can help develop a lasting platform for dialogue around policy strategy that will inspire, inform and ultimately lead to greater success for cities around the world.