The Opera House Effect

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2011/11/opera-house-effect/586/



Urban and regional economic development, which focused on attracting factories and companies not too long ago, has taken a bit of artistic turn in recent years, with mayors, chambers of commerce and economic developers lauding the arts as a key factor in attracting skilled workers.

Art and culture's role in urban development is well-documented. University of Minnesota economist Ann Markusen and her colleagues argue that the arts make substantial, if occasionally hidden, contributions to regional development. Markusen dubs this the "artistic dividend."

Cultural amenities in general play a role in city growth, according to research by Harvard economist Edward Glaeser and his collaborators. Sociologists Terry Nichols Clark, Dan Silver and Lawrence Rothfield have been documenting the importance of artistic and cultural scenes in attracting talent and spurring urban growth. My own research highlights the importance of street-level artistic and creative scenes, even more so than the high arts, in making cities more attractive, energized and diverse.

However, critics counter that arts are more icing then cake. Arts boosterism, they contend, falls victim to a fatal "chicken and egg problem" – arts and culture tend to develop only after cities get rich.

[frazzled]

1. Cities have known this for a long time

Arts and culture have a huge impact on the economy of a city (not to mention its psychic life). I've been thinking about this a lot the last few days because of the death of Maggie Daley here in Chicago. For all else the Daley administration did or didn't do, it can't be denied that Mrs. Daley had a huge impact in getting the city to support major arts and culture initiatives. This in turn attracts the businesses and skilled workers to a city, leads to business for restaurants and hotels .... the ripple effect is great.

Would that our federal government understood the importance of arts and culture to our national well-being. Since the Culture Wars of the Gingrich era (oh no, he's back!), the US has retrenched its commitment to the arts to almost nothing. They forget that a large part of America's rise to prominence in the postwar era had to do with its cultural impact--from the Abstract Expressionist painters to its jazz and writers. Culture has always been our most important ambassador. Now we export drek, and it will come back to haunt us.

Anyway, thanks for posting this. It's a big area of interest for me.

[xchrom]

2. cultural vigor is a quality of life issue.

where there is a vibrant cultural life -- that's a place were people want to live.

[mopinko]

5. ^^this^^

she will be missed. hope rahm fills the void. somehow.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Another article that might interst those who are interested in this

This article made me pick up Entrepreneur Magazine, a mag I never read.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220525

[xchrom]

4. excellent! nt