Goals

The goal of municipal cultural planning is prosperous, sustainable and vibrant municipalities.

Vibrant, authentic places bubbling with lively cultural and entertainment options are magnets that attract and retain creative people. This creative workforce in turn generates wealth in an expanding knowledge economy.

The work of researchers and urban strategists such as Richard Florida, Meric Gertler, Glen Murray confirm that place matters now more than ever. People drive the economy not machines and people choose places to live so they can do what they want to do. Talented workers in the creative economy want to live in authentic communities with unique local histories, strong community amenities and vibrant entertainment options.

The old assumption in economic development was that people follow business and investment. We now know the reverse is true. If we build communities where people want to live and work, business and investment follow people, not vice versa.