The creative community builder's handbook : how to transform communities using local assets, art, and culture

"Special thanks to the McKnight Foundation for support of the research, writing, editing, and production of this work."

Included Bibliography, Glossary & Index.

How to use this handbook -- Ideas behind this book -- The role of culture in community building -- Community, culture, art, economics, and "place" -- Culture, social change, and community development -- Ten economic and social development strategies -- Building strong economies through arts and culture -- Strategy 1: create jobs -- Strategy 2: stimulate trade through cultural tourism -- Strategy 3: attract investment by creating live/work zones for artists -- Strategy 4: diversify the local economy -- Strategy 5: improve property and enhance value -- Best practices in building strong economies through arts and culture -- Building social connections through arts and culture -- Strategy 6: promote interaction in public space -- Strategy 7: increase civic participation through cultural celebrations -- Strategy 8: engage youth -- Strategy 9: promote stewardship of place -- Strategy 10: broaden participation in the civic agenda -- Best practices in using arts and culture to build social connections -- Steps for creative community builders -- Step 1: assess your situation and goals -- Task 1.1: define the community -- Task 1.2: identify your strengths and leadership capacity -- Task 1.3: identify community assets -- Task 1.4: clarify values and goals -- Task 1.5: write a concept paper -- Task 1.6: review readiness -- Summary -- Step 2: identify and recruit effective partners -- Task 2.1: identify potential partners -- Task 2.2: develop expectations for potential partners -- Task 2.3: recruit partners -- Summary -- Step 3: map values, strengths, assets, and history -- Task 3.1: hold the first meeting to establish group commitment -- Task 3.2: build group cohesion -- Task 3.3: identify assets -- Task 3.4: create a map of community assets -- Task 3.5: invite contributions from the larger community -- Summary -- Step 4: focus on your key asset, vision, identity, and core strategies -- Task 4.1: review data and narrow list of top community assets -- Task 4.2: choose a key community asset -- Task 4.3: envision the future -- Task 4.5: name your identity -- Summary -- Step 5: craft a plan that brings the identity to life -- Task 5.1: create outcomes -- Task 5.2: set goals -- Task 5.3: attach measures to outcome targets -- Task 5.4: generate a list of activities -- Task 5.5: organize action steps and resource needs into a plan -- Task 5.6: celebrate your work! -- Summary -- Securing funding, policy support, and media coverage -- Tips to secure funding -- Tips for shaping public policy -- Tips for getting helpful media coverage.

Put the power of arts and culture to work in your community Part 1 of this unique guide distills research and emerging ideas behind culturally driven community development and explains key underlying principles. You'll understand the arts impact on community well-being and have the rationale for engaging others. Find inspiration and ideas from twenty case studies Part 2 gives you ten concrete strategies for building on the unique qualities of your own community. Each strategy is illustrated by two case studies taken from a variety of cities, small towns, and neighborhoods across the United States. You'll learn how people from all walks of life used culture and creativity as a glue to bind together people, ideas, enterprises, and institutions to make places more balanced and healthy. These examples are followed in Part 3 with six steps to assessing, planning, and implementing creative community building projects: 1. Assess Your Situation and Goals; 2. Identify and Recruit Effective Partners; 3. Map Values, Strengths, Assets, and History; 4. Focus on Your Key Asset, Vision, Identity, and Core Strategies; 5. Craft a Plan That Brings the Identity to Life; 6. Secure Funding, Policy Support, and Media Coverage. Detailed guidance, hands-on worksheets, and a hypothetical community sample walk you through the entire process. Each section includes additional resources as well as an appendix listing books, web sites, organizations, and research studies. By understanding the theoretical context (Part 1), learning from case studies (Part 2), and following the six steps (Part 3), you'll be able to build a more vibrant, creative, and equitable community.