I’ve been asked to post a few thoughts which help clarify the rapidly evolving field of culturally-centered design and planning (helped me as well).
Q: What is cultural planning?
The term is changing. In the past, it has focused mainly on the production of cultural programming in a community. Today, cultural planning may include the integration of community engagement tools (such as little libraries, community gardens, amphitheaters, and murals) in neighborhood plans, the incorporation of curated common areas into residential development projects, public art, integrative landscape architecture, and elements which encourage and create community connections to the spaces in which we live.
Cultural planning has roots in the arts and cultural sector; however, it is also a growing element within the urban planning sector. Urban planning takes a broad assessment of how cities operate, grow, and decline. There are formulaic assessments of ‘successful’ cities and communities. The Knight Foundation conducted a study many years ago now called The Soul of the Community. https://lnkd.in/gxANEZn. Knight and Gallop surveyed 26 communities to study resident ‘attachment level’. It was a fascinating study and is still very relevant today. Art and culture ranked highest in several categories when asked why those surveyed felt attached to a place.
Cultural planning also incorporates the effect of art and cultural programming on the economic development of a city. Consistently, art and culture rank high (if not the highest) in many studies and surveys as to why a particular city is successful. Why then, would art and culture be so difficult to retain as a relevant budget item in a land development project?
Here are a few ways to become more culturally-centered in your design and planning practice:
-Consider thoughtful and meaningful design as it pertains to public space, nature, and the built environment.
-Understand the long-term impacts of a project which does not give back to the community.
-Work with diverse and differing opinions and expertise of a typical project team to ensure cultural and artistic elements are understood, thoughtfully considered, and preserved throughout the project lifecycle.
-Commit to steward the outcomes with the community to create memorable and unique spaces for health, safety, and longevity.
Cultural proficiency is a critical thread in the planning and design of public and private spaces. The humans who use these spaces ultimately will decide if the space is relevant. We’ve all seen ‘dead’ spaces which have been thoughtfully created by design teams to bring more activity to a new (or renovated) community space. Why do spaces die? And how do we bring them back to life? The good news is that you can.