Art, Culture and Economic Development: New Directions for the Growth of Cities and Regions

CALL FOR PAPERS

(Deadline: May 31, 2008)



Art, Culture and Economic Development:

New Directions for the Growth of Cities and Regions



Dear Colleagues,



The Journal of Planning Education and Research (JPER) seeks submissions for a symposium on Art, Culture and Economic Development based on the issues raised in a series of Economic Development sessions at the 2006 and 2007 Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning meetings. The theme is: “Art, Culture and Economic Development: New Directions for the Growth of Cities and Regions.”



Urban and planning scholars have long been focused on the social and economic dynamics that are necessary for the growth of cities and regions, and thus economic development has become a central line of urban research. Researchers have explored the variables that play – or appear to play – significant roles in the development of place. Such discussions (and debates) have revolved around recruiting industries, developing tourism, generating exports, attracting a “creative class”, and so forth. Increasingly, art and culture have become an important part of these discussions.



Within the realm of economic development, art and culture have been considered through several lenses including: the role of cultural amenities in attracting human capital, cultural tourism and large-scale development (and the ensuing “Disneyfication” development) and artists as instruments in revitalization of neighborhoods. Increasingly, art and culture have also been looked at seriously as important contributors to economic growth with regard to jobs, revenue and innovation. Within these various aspects of art and culture’s role in development, scholars have gone to great lengths to look at more specific cases and issues surrounding some of these themes.



Researchers and practitioners are grappling with a number of exciting challenges and prospects in defining art and culture’s role in economic development and planning. With this in mind, the special editor of this symposium invites colleagues to submit papers considering art and culture’s new role in economic development. While this topic can be broadly considered, the following themes/questions may be useful guidance.



1. What new methods ought to be introduced in studying art and culture? Should different social sciences fields, such as planning, geography, sociology and economics, borrow from each other in an effort to better understand art and culture and in order to develop arts-directed policy and planning?



2. What is the relationship between art, culture and economic development? Should we be looking at ways to incorporate the arts into economic development for other outcomes or is the outcome to support art and culture? In other words, is cultivating art and culture a variable for a larger goal (e.g. attracting firms, generating tourism) or is it the goal itself?



3. If art and culture have become important variables in current economic development why are particular places/cities/regions more concentrated sites of cultural production than others? (For example, scholars have noted Los Angeles’ dominance in film or New York’s concentration of fashion designers.) What might be the social and economic explanations for this uneven distribution?



4. Scholars have pointed to the use of culture in large-scale redevelopment of places such as Times Square. They have also noted that such development has had the unwanted Disneyfication effect that has been criticized for being homogeneous and unauthentic. Others have argued that art and culture play key roles in cultivating local “authenticity”. How has art and culture been incorporated in economic development previously and for what aims? Are these goals inline with more general planning and development sentiments? How are they different?



5. If we are to argue that art and culture are important to economic development, both as catalysts of development for other firms and populations and as agents of growth in their own right, then how exactly do we structure economic development planning and policy? We must understand how these industries work in the first place. Foremost, what are the networks (social and economic), institutions and resources that art and culture require in their development and growth? How do art and culture development link to broader urban and regional development?



6. And finally, what do we mean by art and culture? Is it galleries and museums of international repute or is it the street life of bohemia? Is it culture that can be “commodified” such as fashion, film and music or does smaller scale, symbolic production, such as small music venues and graffiti art, play an important role as well? What are the parameters of art and culture and how do we justify them?



As art and culture become increasingly discussed in the economic development debates, we must further push ourselves to define the themes, terms and methodologies that are part and parcel of our understanding and conceptualization of their role in growth and development. This JPER symposium hopes to begin to unpack these issues and instigate further research and debate on this timely topic.



The special editor of this symposium is Elizabeth Currid, Assistant Professor, School of Policy, Planning and Development, University of Southern California, currid@usc.edu (email) or 213-740-4012 (phone). If you have an interest in preparing a manuscript for this symposium or have any questions, please contact me.



Symposium manuscripts will be reviewed under the normal JPER review process. Submissions should be made via the electronic system available at http://services.bepress.com/jper/ . The deadline for submission of manuscripts to JPER for consideration as a part of this symposium is May 31, 2008.