Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Policy: Building the Creative Sector - Week 11

Braddock Articles and Video
  • Braddock was once of the most successful towns in America (where Carnegie build his first steel factory), but it is now one of the most dilapidated towns in the nation
  • town suffers from poor infrastructure, decrepit houses and buildings, heavy population loss, and more
  • Mayor John Fetterman uses town essentially as an experiment to try new methods of revitalization
    • creating artist live-work spaces
      • free studio space for artists
    • urban gardening
    • community centers
    • public art installations
  • Fetterman has set up a non-profit, Braddock Redux, using family money to accomplish most of the changes he's introduced to the community
    • non-profit status allows him to operate outside of the political system
    • also allows him to implicate radical changes without much say from community members and longtime residents
  • town has witnessed a decrease in number of homicides
  • town is gentrification-proof because of the radically low prices of housing; even if prices tripled they would still be affordable
    • affordable to buy, not necessarily to make livable - many who moved to the town have seen their savings disappear as they try to make necessary improvements in the houses they've bought
    • as of yet only 23 people have moved in to 10 households
      • people were attracted by the low overhead of living, felt that they would have more time to pursue hobbies, but this is not necessarily true
      • people moving in aren't really doing so in order to "fix" the town (8)
  • Fetterman claims he never tried to bring people in to the town, but he did create a website to advertise the town
  • Fettermen doesn't seem to relate urban revitalization (urban homesteading) to fostering civic engagement
    • "Is urban renewal just a matter of showing up" (8)
  • image portrayed in the media and the reality of the town don't necessarily match up
    • one person does acknowledge that "the mayor is doing good things for the kids, and that does matter most, the future" (8-9)

"From Brew Town to Cool Town" (Zimmerman, 2008)
  • criticizes Milwaukee's application of Florida's ideas for further polarizing the city both economically and racially
  • municipal government tried to adapt the city's central area to better appeal to the "presumed" lifestyle needs of the creative class
    • new logo attempted to shift image of Milwaukee from industrial to cultural; used image of addition to Milwaukee Art Museum to represent the city
  • rather than "bohemianism," Florida's creative class seem more closely associated with higher levels of education than the average population
  • critics cite that Florida's creative cities actually featured higher-than-average unemployment rates and sustained job losses in recent years
  • some have pointed out that bohemian neighborhoods are likely a consequence of economic growth rather than a cause of it
    • issue of causality appears again and again
    • claim that Florida did indeed understand the causality backwardly
  • city created a branding strategy to market itself as a creative city suitable and desirable for creative young professionals
  • city made efforts to improve the physical attractiveness of downtown neighborhoods
    • these efforts sometimes received funding over more long-standing community services and amenities, like public pools (which often serve the working class)
  • Third Ward neighborhood was becoming rapidly gentrified
  • benefits of city's plan
    • increase in population growth compared to the suburbs
    • city gained more young professionals
    • property-led residential boom in the central area
  • disadvantages/things the plan didn't seem to change
    • net job losses actually accelerated during the implementation of the plan; this economic issue was especially prominent in the central area, particularly for racial minorities
    • argues that plan served a small and privileged population without addressing the needs of African-American and immigrant working class and working poor populations
    • Florida omits "old-economy" workers from his scheme and ignores unions and class-based political parties
    • deepened pre-existing social inequalities and bolstered regimes of exclusion

"Politics of a Creative Class" (Markusen, 2005)
  • argues that artists are very distinct from other members of Florida's creative class
  • "talent, skill, and creativity are not synonymous with higher education" (1921)
  • artists participate actively in politics, pursue liberal political values and support the rise of welfare
  • the definition of creativity remains fuzzy in Florida's terms; conflates creativity with high levels of education
  • Florida largely ignores diversity other than the "gay index"
  • argues that there is no simple direction between the presence of artists and the semi-independent locational preferences among selected groups of workers
    • difficult to know how to profit over this relationship by instituting government policy
    • relationship between artists and high-tech driven urban growth remains unclear
  • research does show that artists take into consideration the tradeoffs between "being where the action is" and livability, artistic networks, and philanthropic support
    • artists often move to the seedy, transitional neighborhoods rather than wealthy downtown areas
  • local arts can be a draw for additional city revenue, particularly from tourists
    • "import-substituting activity" (1932)
  • mixed opinions from artists on Florida's work
    • like the publicity and attention they have received, understand the problem's implicit in his strategies
  • artists want more support for neighborhood-based/decentralized art spaces
  • discusses different views of artists as gentrifiers (1936-37)
    • effect depends on the condition/stability of the location
    • many artists are actually of the community


"Gentrification and Desire" (Caulfield, 1989)
  • "marginal cultural practice breeds its own displacement"
    • based on the workings of the culture industry
  • gentrifiers are difficult to identify, and it is hard to understand individuals through the term alone
    • many have different political leanings, occupations, incomes, etc.
  • different views on gentrifiers
    • all city resettlers are gentrifiers
      • consider first-phase gentrifiers "complicit" in the dislocation of low-income residents
    • there are different stages of gentrification and the gentrifiers at these different stages should be considered differently
      • first-phase gentrifiers are often on the side of the existing neighborhoods and against neighborhood gentrification
  • culture is understood to play a part in the gentrification process, but the exact role remains largely unknown ("black box")
  • Why are resettlers attracted to old urban neighborhoods? What makes these places desirable over other communities they could afford?
    • rent gap
    • affection fo "diversity"
    • rejection of suburban ideals
    • "repelled from... suburban time-space rhythms of separate spheres of work and daily life" (622)
    • "emancipatory practice oriented toward particular use-values of older urban places that are felt to be diminished in current-day city-building
      • desire to refashion the historical city
      • desires go further back than the counter-cultural movements of the 1960s, have long been relevant to "first-phase" gentrifiers
  • culture industry has the ability to package and sell pre-existing desires
    • lifestyle as a product
  • "revitalization" of old city neighborhoods actually often result in the devitalization of less affluent communities
    • forced displacement, particularly for low-income tenants

Artists and Urban Development (Cole, 1987)
  • addresses the changes associated with artists moving to Hoboken, Jersey City, and Newark in the Manhattan periphery
  • artists can be both victims of the capitalist system and the early drivers of forces such as gentrification and displacement for low-income populations
  • artists change land use
  • artist loft spaces can be desirable for wealthy middle-class individuals; can result in the displacement of artists who have displaced low-income individuals
    • increased property values, construction of condominiums (marketed often as lofts for chicness), etc.
    • difficult for these two groups of displaced persons to form a common front because their ultimate goals differ; low-income residents sometimes perceive the artist not as an ally but as "a symbol of change that will ultimately deprive them of their homes" (407)
  • Jersey City: "artist community was institutionalized as part of planned improvement and rehabilitation of [the Heights] section" (395)
    • unclear whether this proclamation actually had an effect on driving more artists to the cities
    • government does not provide special benefits to artists
    • the Heights is not a blighted area and thus doesn't qualify for redevelopment benefits
    • claim that changes resulting from influx of artists was "natural," though city did embark on a large marketing program to advertise the redevelopment underway
  • Newark: "artists have migrated to well-established neighborhoods, not to the vacant zones considered unsafe by most middle-class standards" (399)
    • some artists believe that publicity used artists to shift the image of Newark in order to promote the possibility of land speculation and gentrification
    • artists do repurpose some buildings, but the overall effects on the community do not seem to be broad
  • artists' residencies as a sign that a neighborhood might be a good place to live; artists come first, then developers
  • some artists, galleries, and arts organizations work to integrate themselves into their location-based community, while others are more focused on not instigating any change/trouble and trying to find ways to work on their art while keeping a connection to New York City
  • importance of artists/arts organizations buying their own space so as to not be forced out by rising rent prices brought about by their living in the city
    • some have argued for rent subsidies for artists in order to repay them for their contribution to urban revitalization
      • rent subsidies for other residents are often ignored in these discussions
  • artists have various responses to the issue of social responsibility
    • they have little control in changing landuses, yet there participation seems instrumental

"Sustainable Communities and and the Creative Sector" Webinar (Hud, Jul. 2010)
  • ability of arts organizations to do creative placemaking
    • supporting local artists, creating more foot traffic
    • making a place where people actually want to live, work, and play
  • partnership between multiple government organizations for new funding opportunities
    • Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities and the NEA
  • sustainability
    • tying the quality and the location of housing to broader opportunities, like more jobs
    • six principles
      • better transportation choice
      • increase of location- and energy- efficient housing choices
      • improve economic competitiveness
      • put funding towards existing communities
      • align federal policies
      • enhance unique characteristics of communities
  • two grant programs
    • Community Challenge and Title II Tiger Grants
      • alight Federal programs to support the building of projects that further the six livability principles
    • Sustainable Communities Grants
      • grants to programs which improve infrastructure, economic development, health, social equality, or more simply bolster the arts and culture community
      • require a consortium to apply to the grant (12:00)
      • emphasize needs to work with the community
      • acknowledges the difference in population criteria
        • grant prizes are proportional to size of region
    • strongly stresses building off of existing momentum in communities by forming partnerships

Questions and Comments
  • Can artists be seen as anything other than gentrifiers if they move into a town with the purpose of "fixing" it?  What benefits and problems might be associated with such a purpose?
  • How has Braddock succeeded thus far?  What are ways that it could further improve its town's condition? What lessons can other failing cities and towns learn from it (either from what it has done right or wrong)?
  • What problems are presented by a non-profit, rather than the government, instituting major change in a community?  What are the benefits?
  • What is the causal relation between artists, bohemian neighborhoods, and economic success? Is it really one way in any direction?
  • What problems are implicit in Florida's definition of the creative class as a class which really signifies higher education? How can his argument be expanded to cover a broader population? Would his argument hold up if it weren't referring to the highly educated (who are usually more wealthy)?
  • At what point does gentrification shift from first-phase to second-phase? Can any measures be taken to diminish second-phase gentrification and avoid population displacement?
  • Is culture and certain counter-cultural desires a driving factor for certain populations, particularly those considered "gentrifiers?" If so, what other factors contribute to the seeds of gentrification?
  • How can artists and displaced low-income residents form a united front against gentrification? How can the government intervene?
  • In addition to the grants offered by HUD, what other government partnerships might be successful at improving the arts and culture sector and at using arts and culture as a basis for development and growth?

Further reading is highlighted in the reference sections of "From Brew Town to Cool Town," "'Gentrification' and Desire," and "Politics of a Creative Class"

Articles Annie read/commented on:

  • radio documentary about creative economy investment in Michigan
  • Newark mayor: comes from Newark, went and got Ivy-league educated, really inserted himself back into the fabric of the life of Newark
  • comparison between Lowe and Fettermen: different motives, same activities/impacts (relatively speaking)
  • How do all of these issues consider the suburbs?

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