Press Room
Panel: How Creative Communities Can Help Build a Diversified Local Economy
Gerald Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, moderated the panel, while John Barrett, Robert O’Neill and Karen Gagnon offered suggestions for communities to foster economic development by capitalizing on the emerging creative economy.
As director of Michigan’s “Cool Cities” initiative, Gagnon said she focuses on facilitating the growth of four priorities, neighborhood by neighborhood. Those priorities are: talent, diversity, environment and innovation. Gagnon suggested that if a community can accomplish supporting any of these four priorities, and preferably all four, the effort will contribute to the community’s economic growth and success.
Similarly O’Neill, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based ICMA, zeroed in on a few core principles that communities can used to support both creativity and economic growth. Among the 10 principles he presented this morning are:
- the importance of basic services, such as education, cleanliness, safety and public spaces
- adaptability and a willingness to do things in a new or different way
- regulatory flexibility, such as changes to land use patterns and a commitment to live-work-play areas
Barrett suggested making the arts a priority. He said his greatest accomplishment as mayor of North Adams, Mass. has been to make residents proud of their community and a reminded the audience that creative economy is all about quality of life. According to Barrett, revitalizing a downtown urban area should never begin with attracting retailers. Rather, as he has done, community leaders should begin by supporting artists in their urban centers. Restaurants will follow a strong arts community, attracting residents and then office development.
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Top: Gerald Connolly; Bottom, left to right: Karen Gagnon, Mayor John Barrett III and Robert O'Neill. All photos by Kaveh Sardari. These and many other high-resolution images from the National Conference on the Creative Economy may be viewed and purchased from www.sardari.com.
