Art As Urban Change Agent

Elizabeth Currid-Halkett examins the viability of arts driven urban revitalization and finds that the strongest predictor of success is the nature of the art being produced and exhibited in the neighborhood.

1 minute read

November 7, 2011, 12:00 PM PST

By George Haugh

A walk through New York's Soho, or LA's Venice Beach shows that arts-lead development can revitalize struggling inner city areas, but the experience is not uniform across all cases. Currid-Halkett finds that there are more nuanced dynamics that can define a transformative process, beyond the cheapness of rents. Citing New York, she explains that the sizes of the spaces in Chelsea and Soho were just as important in attracting dealers Larry Gagosian and Barbara Gladstone, who needed vast rooms to show the increasingly edifice-like work of sculptors such as Richard Serra.

FULL STORY: Where Do Bohemians Come From?

Saturday, October 15, 2011 in The New York Times

Architecture Community / Economic Development Land Use Social / Demographics North America Art Arts District Soho Venice Beach View More

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