Theater Sep 17, 2009 at 4:00 am

The Culture Candidate

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1
More than anything I think the city needs to adopt an attitude that all the arts contribute to the livability of an urban Seattle. This means more than just keeping the Office of Cultural Affairs alive and funded. It also means embracing a growth plan that doesn’t just reward density in neighborhoods, but recognizes that the desirability of neighborhoods is often based on the accessibility and quality of arts opportunities in those neighborhoods. If I remember right, the so called “Toronto Plan” is an urban development model that stresses importance of arts, clubs and bars, and restaurants as magnets for development. But it also calls for smaller, “street friendly” development projects that tend to ease rapid gentrification and the economic strains that development often places on struggling arts organizations. The rush to density at any price that Seattle has implemented over the last decade or so has severely reduced the availability of the type of affordable commercial spaces that the arts need in order thrive. What we got instead are blocks of tin and glass condos, with a seemingly endless supply of Thai restaurants and Subway outlets at street level. Much of this space is empty, or being auctioned off.

Besides development issues, the city needs to take account of the impact that new revenue proposals may have on struggling arts organizations. Our soon departing Mayor floated the idea of extending parking meter hours to 10pm or later. This could severely constrain theater audiences. Special tax districts that are implemented in order to fund projects like streetcars also put an intolerable strain on arts organizations, since those inflated property taxes end up as higher rents which force arts organizations to close or move to other areas.

As the city and the area struggle to attract and retain employers, the city leaders need to remember that livability means not only urban amenities like streetcars and Subway outlets every block, it also means a vibrant, diverse, and secure arts scene to make the city truly desirable. Otherwise, we might as well be in Topeka.

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