Cultural Planning For Place Making Part 2
CULTURAL PLANNING FOR PLACE MAKING Part 2.
Author: Lia Ghilardi: City University, London and Noema Research and Planning Limited, London.
Click here to read Part 1.
The Cultural Planning Approach
The cultural planning approach has emerged in Europe and North America as a way of enabling policy-makers to think strategically about the application of the cultural distinctive resources of localities to economic and urban development, together with the delivery of policies capable of responding to local needs, aspirations and perceptions of place.
As Bianchini and myself have argued elsewhere, it is important to clarify that cultural planning is not merely the ‘planning of culture’, but a cultural approach to urban planning and policy (Bianchini 1993, Ghilardi 2001) capable of delivering overall innovative development strategies. In particular, the central characteristics of cultural planning are a very broad, anthropological definition of culture as ‘a way of life’, along with the integration of the arts into other aspects of local culture, and into the texture and routines of daily life in the city.
Cultural resources are here understood in a pragmatic way and include not only the arts and heritage of a place, but also local traditions, dialects, festivals and rituals; the diversity and quality of leisure; drinking and eating and entertainment facilities; the cultures of youth, ethnic minorities and communities of interest; and the repertoire of local products and skills in the crafts, manufacturing and service sectors.
While cultural policies tend to have a sectoral focus, cultural planning adopts a territorial remit. Thus cultural planning — with its integrated approach to local development and by linking culture and other aspects of economic and social life — can be instrumental in creating opportunities for a variety of social and cultural constituencies.
In other words, cultural planning sees the arts as one aspect of a larger planning and policy domain. In this way, cultural planning can help urban governments to identify the distinctive cultural resources of a city or locality and to apply them in a strategic way to achieve key objectives in areas such as community development, place marketing or economic development.
As a policy tool, this brand of cultural planning derives from a tradition of radical urbanism and humanistic management of cities championed in the early 1960s, chiefly by Jane Jacobs. She wrote, ‘Cities are our own artefacts and the trouble in dealing with them is that planners can only contemplate a city’s uses one at a time, by categories’ (1965: 155). Jacobs saw the city as an ecosystem composed of physical-economic-ethical processes interacting with each other in a natural flow.
The cultural identity of a community comprises who the people are and their backgrounds, tastes, rituals, experiences, diversity, talents and aspirations for the future. The cultural richness of a place is also governed by local heritage attributes and the natural and built qualities that attracted residents to the area. Cultural planning demands recognition of the distinctive resources of a place in the first instance and then the development of policies and strategies rooted in those resources.
In particular, key to cultural planning strategies are two practical and methodological elements: mapping, and strategy building.
Mapping
A pre-condition for identifying, harnessing and then exploiting creative potential is to conduct a wide-ranging audit (or mapping) of possibilities based on exploring the distinctive assets of a place. Such broad spectrum mapping of the local ‘culture’ can provide vital information to the policy-makers about the best way to respond more effectively to local needs while maximizing opportunities. Knowledge of an area’s cultural and creative profile is also useful in advocating for change: it can inform policy development, attract funding and resources, and be instrumental in the adoption of new approaches.
Supporting and connecting those resources with cross-departmental and cross-sector collaboration is also an important part of any cultural plan. This connects with the second key ingredient of cultural planning: strategy building.
Strategy building
Potential resources need to be placed in a framework where catalyst actions are identified. Places that successfully conduct mappings must also have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, who is leading the process, and why and for whom this process has been set in motion.
A successful cultural planning strategy must also seek to challenge existing received perceptions about the culture of a place and be guided by a locally distinctive vision where access for all is fostered.
It should take a holistic, rather than a service or department viewpoint, and not be bounded by the responsibilities of a specific department or committee. It should make links with other existing plans and it should seek to create bridges between different local constituencies and groups of interest so that duplications of tasks are avoided, new energy is injected into the policy-making task and innovative ideas can be explored and implemented.
As described above, cultural plans are the result of a process and require active participation from different local actors. For this reason they are a far cry from the bureaucratic performing of tasks which some policy-makers have until now wrongly associated with cultural policy.
Examples of Implementation
In the UK, the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership (BCDP) is a key example of cultural planning implementation. The BCDP was set up in 1993 when Bristol City Council, the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, local cultural organisations (such as South West Arts, the University and local entrepreneurs) came together to create and implement a medium to long term strategy for the improvement of the quality of life in the city.
The early 1990s were a difficult time for Bristol, with urban dereliction, poverty and social exclusion dominating the political agenda. Moreover, due to internal political divisions, the local Council had been until then unable to play a leading role in encouraging policy initiatives or strategy development. So when the idea of the Partnership was put forward by the Chamber of Commerce, the Council responded positively.
Since then, the BCDP has been influential in brokering the development of a series of ground-breaking projects such as the annual short-film festival Brief Encounters, the creation of the Watershed Media Centre, and the Arnolfini contemporary art gallery, which has played a major role in the development of the Harbour-side area. The Partnership continues to deliver projects (ranging from Bristol 2008 Capital of Culture Bid to The Legible City, a high profile public art strategy) to smaller neighbourhood initiatives focusing on harnessing cultural diversity and fostering social cohesion.
The lesson to be learned from Bristol is that ‘organic’ partnerships such as the BCDP can sometimes achieve better results than top down, policy-led mechanisms. This is because such partnerships often start from the local (from a cultural mapping in the case of Bristol) and with a specific issue they want to tackle. Such local focus (and knowledge) ensures support from key local stakeholders and communities alike, and gives partnerships the freedom and flexibility to implement actions in the way they want, and with the partners they chose to work with.
The Mantua Literature Festival
Back in the 1990s, this small town in the North of Italy needed to improve its status as a tourist destination because until then the type of tourism the city attracted was mainly of the ‘day-trip’ type. In addition, the profile of Mantua as a cultural destination was very low and heavily mono-cultural (relying mostly on its Italian Renaissance heritage).
Following a six-month-long mapping by the author (and the observation that, as well as heritage, Mantua was also host to a number of activities related to book selling, book conservation, and art-book publishing) the theme of ‘books and publishing’ emerged very strongly as catalyst for potential future tourism and economic development actions.
The mapping, in addition, showed that the theme of books could be applied to open-air initiatives by using Mantua’s compact, livable and walkable urban fabric (at the time, the city had a number of private gardens, historic buildings and urban spaces partially open to the public). In order to use the resources identified, it was decided that the city should back innovative initiatives linked to the book theme. After careful consideration, the idea of hosting a major Literature Festival emerged.
Although the idea of the festival gained minimum support from the local administration, it was thanks to the efforts and commitment of the many locally-based small entrepreneurs that the Literature Festival became a reality in September 1997. More than twelve years on, the Mantua Literature Festival is the biggest in Italy; it has managed to mobilize the local resources (heritage, buildings, squares, gardens and people) during its week of events and beyond, and the people of Mantua feel very proud to host it and participate in great numbers (there are currently 800 volunteers enlisted as ‘Friends of the Festival’).
Today, Mantua has a different feel than it had 10 years ago, and while still recognized for its heritage, it is now also the destination for a number of writers and artists, who want to spend time writing and creating there. Mantua has become the place where publishers regularly meet, network, and discover new talent. The Friends have developed a strong network of volunteers working on a variety of initiatives (from language courses for young people, to poetry classes, and to the provision of mobile public-reading events).
Examples from Sweden
In Sweden, cultural mapping was used in the Södra Smaland region to tackle the problems caused when Storm Güdrun hit the area in 2005, laying waste to the locality’s forests and causing widespread damage. Here local people needed fresh ideas about how to attract tourists and visitors, and, more broadly, how to re-create economic development opportunities while improving the local quality of life following the devastating effects of this storm. This is when a landmark project was proposed in the shape of a ‘Storm House’.
The planned Storm House will combine visitor attraction and research spaces within in the area affected by the storm. By turning a problem into an opportunity the centre will act as a catalyst for other initiatives (to be developed by the local university, new media and high-tech companies) based on the study of extreme weather patterns, and the potential entrepreneurial spin-offs in the fields of eco-sustainability and quality of life. The actual building will be created in the forest, and both visitors and researchers alike will be able experience what it means to be in a storm (in a dedicated room with 3D projections, sound effects etc), while at the same time research and learn about the effects of global warming, the change in weather patterns and alternative sources of energy. The Storm House proposal fits into the context of a local dedication to the use of renewable resources and a cult of outdoor living. By mobilizing such local ‘cultural’ resources (there are more than 500 IT small enterprises and a well-developed Science Park already working on innovative solutions for the environment) this development could lay the foundations for new economic functions for the area as well as radically changing the image of this region.
In Landskrona a number of interventions aimed at improving social harmony and intercultural dialogue have been developed by deregulating the allocation of city-centre-based historic allotments and getting people from different ethnic communities to use and develop their own plots (with increased variety of produce). In addition, vacant buildings in the city centre are now being considered for alternative uses, some of which will be for commercial purposes (e.g. to house ethnic businesses and niche-market-style retail). Such initiatives respond to a need by the diverse ethnic communities in the city to participate more in the local economy. This, in turn, is encouraging those in charge of economic development in the municipality to see cultural and ethnic diversity as an asset for the city, and as a catalyst for innovation.
In Conclusion
There are lessons one can learn from the examples given above. One is that all the cultural mapping and planning projects described require the piloting of new, integrated and overarching mechanisms of policy-making capable of bringing together different local government departments and constituencies. It is also clear that, to succeed, such mechanisms need to be connected to local needs and aspirations and, crucially, must be participatory, flexible and accountable in the way they administer and deliver their plans.
Cultural planning should be seen by policy-makers as a tool for both capitalising creatively on the distinctive cultural resources of a place and for capturing new economic opportunities. Towns and cities are complex and multi-layered ecosystems, each with their own distinctive cultural DNA, their own ways of living, and their own urban texture, routines and social interactions. This is why mapping should play an important role before policy is allowed to intervene. The mechanical, formulaic processes of the past twenty years of regeneration and place-making have (acutely) shown their limitations. So cultural planning may not be the solution but a powerful tool upon which to build holistic and sustainable approaches to better cities for everyone.
References
Amin, A. and Thrift, N. (1994), ‘Living in the Global’, in A. Amin and N. Thrift (eds.), Globalization, Institutions and Regional Development in Europe, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bianchini, F. and Parkinson, M. (eds.), (1993), Cultural Policy and Urban Regeneration: The West European Experience, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Florida, R. (2002), The Creative Class (www.creativeclass.org).
Ghilardi, L. (2001), ‘Cultural Planning and Cultural Diversity’ in T. Bennett, (ed.), Differing Diversities: Cultural Policy and Cultural Diversity, Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.
Harvey, D. (1989), The Urban Experience, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jacobs, J. (1965), The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Harmondsworth: Pelican, 1965.
Kelly, K. (1998), New Rules for the New Economy: 10 Radical Strategies for a Connected World, London: Fourth Estate.
Landry, C. (2000), The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators, London: Earthscan Publications.
Pachter, M. and Landry, C. (2001), Culture at the Crossroads, Bournes Green: Comedia.
Sandercock, L. (2004) Cosmopolis 2: Mongrel Cities of the 21st Century, New York: Continuum.
Zukin, S. (1995), The Cultures of Cities, Oxford: Blackwell.
Hi Josh I’m not sure if I have the answer to your question. I/we normally employ a variety of techniques to involve local people depending on the task or challenge we are facing. I totally understand your question though. My point of principle is: a) do a period of ‘deep hanging out’ in a place (e.g. keep an observation diary, or generally embed yourself in a neighbourhood or place on a 24/7 basis for some time by visiting a variety of venues, talking to shop keepers, taxi drivers, bar tenders, artists, community leaders and users of community hubs, civic societies, informal groups); b) cross reference the evidence you gather with that of your key stakeholders (or the people who commission your research/mapping); c) combine desk research with media/local press, social networks analysis . At this point you should have enough evidence or info regarding what the issues, assets, challenges, expectations are in a particular place. Also at this point you should have a picture of which NEW and interested stakeholders (i.e. not the usual suspects) are likely to come to the table and bring their point of view (resources, assets, aspirations, expectations and issues). This is then the beginning of your process of consultation which can last up to six months and which will see more stakeholders coming forward as the dialogue evolves. Very often I find that at the end of the process, we have new, self-created, governance mechanisms which are able to produce action plans and concrete interventions which are genuinely innovative because they are aligned as much as possible to local needs etc. I’m not saying this is the answer, just saying that this is how it works for me.
Hi Josh I'm not sure if I have the answer to your question. I/we normally employ a variety of techniques to involve local people depending on the task or challenge we are facing. I totally understand your question though. My point of principle is: a) do a period of 'deep hanging out' in a place (e.g. keep an observation diary, or generally embed yourself in a neighbourhood or place on a 24/7 basis for some time by visiting a variety of venues, talking to shop keepers, taxi drivers, bar tenders, artists, community leaders and users of community hubs, civic societies, informal groups); b) cross reference the evidence you gather with that of your key stakeholders (or the people who commission your research/mapping); c) combine desk research with media/local press, social networks analysis . At this point you should have enough evidence or info regarding what the issues, assets, challenges, expectations are in a particular place. Also at this point you should have a picture of which NEW and interested stakeholders (i.e. not the usual suspects) are likely to come to the table and bring their point of view (resources, assets, aspirations, expectations and issues). This is then the beginning of your process of consultation which can last up to six months and which will see more stakeholders coming forward as the dialogue evolves. Very often I find that at the end of the process, we have new, self-created, governance mechanisms which are able to produce action plans and concrete interventions which are genuinely innovative because they are aligned as much as possible to local needs etc. I'm not saying this is the answer, just saying that this is how it works for me.
Excellent article. I think there is a large need for this type of mapping, but I am curious as to what engagement techniques are utilized to prevent alienation and marginalization. I understand that cultural mapping may not result in any direct policy applications, but I would think that there would still remain a possibility to alienate or marginalize a specific group through exclusion of their cultural assets. Understanding that any cultural mapping process would involve a large degree of public participation, how do you get those groups whose cultures have traditionally been subjugated to invest in the process?
Hi Andrey great to hear from you. The Perm people just sent me the invite yesterday, but again, it is too short a notice for me to go this year. Will you be there? Will get back to you on the question of CPlanning and its applications in Russia. Thank you for your comments.
Hi Andrey great to hear from you. The Perm people just sent me the invite yesterday, but again, it is too short a notice for me to go this year. Will you be there? Will get back to you on the question of CPlanning and its applications in Russia. Thank you for your comments.
Hi, Lia! It's great work! It is closely correlated with your CULTURE AT THE CENTRE: CULTURAL PLANNING: A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY-BASED REGENERATION IN SCOTLAND Report and other works. This theme is really interesting for me too - I read many CM/CP materials from Canada, Australia, USA and Europe. I'm from city of Perm, Russia, from Perm region Ministry of Culture. If you remember, one year ago we tried to invite you on our 5th Economic Forum. It was my work to make a list of an appropriate foreign experts - among them there were you, Colin Mercer, Greg Baeker, Craig Dreszeen, and others. For our sorrow, you couldn't be in Perm at that moment personally. it's very interesting to know your opinion about the potential of CM/CP theme in Russia at local level. Do you think it could be possible to adopt it here? (we can continue our dialogue in Facebook). Thanks
Hi, Lia! It's great work! It is closely correlated with your CULTURE AT THE CENTRE: CULTURAL PLANNING: A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY-BASED REGENERATION IN SCOTLAND Report and other works. This theme is really interesting for me too - I read many CM/CP materials from Canada, Australia, USA and Europe. I'm from city of Perm, Russia, from Perm region Ministry of Culture. If you remember, one year ago we tried to invite you on our 5th Economic Forum. It was my work to make a list of an appropriate foreign experts - among them there were you, Colin Mercer, Greg Baeker, Craig Dreszeen, and others. For our sorrow, you couldn't be in Perm at that moment personally. it's very interesting to know your opinion about the potential of CM/CP theme in Russia at local level. Do you think it could be possible to adopt it here? (we can continue our dialogue in Facebook). Thanks
Well done Lia. I read both parts and thoroughly enjoyed myself. How did you do? Well, I'm sure.
Hi Felix happy to hear you enjoyed the article. These are not easy projects to pull off and take some resources especially during the mapping stage, but once this is done, the local people take over and sometimes manage to put in place action plans and strong strategic framework of implementation. Other times we simply fail because there are blockages in the local bureaucracy, or simply because civic leaders on the ground are not ready for change!
Well done Lia. I read both parts and thoroughly enjoyed myself. How did you do? Well, I'm sure.
Hi Felix happy to hear you enjoyed the article. These are not easy projects to pull off and take some resources especially during the mapping stage, but once this is done, the local people take over and sometimes manage to put in place action plans and strong strategic framework of implementation. Other times we simply fail because there are blockages in the local bureaucracy, or simply because civic leaders on the ground are not ready for change!
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