Canada's Creative City Network -- Creating Economic and Social Benefits for Communities through Cultural Development

Canada's Creative City Network is an incredible resource. It's a membership organization for Canadian municipalities, and a number of their resources are made available to non-members, including their twice-monthly e-newsletter published in English and French.

The current issue is fabulous, full of lots of interesting links to initiatives across Canada ranging from youth poetry and music activities, the Humanitas Museum project in Toronto, to Business Improvement Districts incorporating arts to enhance safety. It's not quite up on the web yet, but it will be here.

One of the great resources on their website is a special online edition of their newsletter (the printed edition only goes to members), "Creating Economic and Social Benefits for Communities." The article makes the point that it pays for a municipality to make a proactive role in arts and cultural development a key part of its core "business."

(Washington DC troubles me because imo the City Government militantly refuses to acknowledge that pre-1940 architecture [particularly from the 19th century], and history are the defining characteristics of non-federal Washington, and that these are the components of the city's competitive advantage in economic and cultural development activities.)

Creative Cities build their communities through creativity and innovation, by focusing on these pivot points in a comprehensive and connected approach*:

1. Urban Revitalization and Renewal--The arts revitalize city neighborhoods, including the downtown core.
2. Cultural Tourism--People want to visit places that offer exciting things to do as well as interesting ways to express themselves.
3. Quality of Place--Quality of Life--Arts, culture, and heritage are cornerstones in developing vibrant, attractive, resilient, competitive, and creative communities.
4. Culture as an Economic Engine--Cities will not attract new business or investment, or see job growth, if "creativity" is not a component of their economic and strategic plans. Creativity is the engine of the new economy.
5. Building Community Identity and Pride--Local arts and heritage give your community vitality and a sense of identity. Cultural activities create and strengthen social connections, drawing diverse citizens together.
6. Address Specific Challenges Facing Your Community--Integrating culture with the delivery of social services can help to address specific social challenges facing communities in innovative and lasting ways.
7. Personal and Social Development of Youth--Communities can and must grow their own creative and innovative citizens. The arts provide opportunities for personal and creative skill development, particularly by children and youth.

[Nancy Duxbury tells us that the printed newsletter is available for $3.50 (Canadian) plus tax.]

* There are many similar approaches, including Comprehensive Community Initiatives, Asset-Based Community Development, and the Main Street Approach. Each works to do the same thing, building communities through recognizing, utilizing, strengthening, and extending social, cultural, human, economic, and built environment assets.

It is our job as community revitalizers to link these approaches in the best way possible to move our communities forward.