Setting the Stage for Community Change: Reflecting on Creative Placemaking Outcomes Sarah Lee President, Slover Linett Audience Research Americans for the Arts Research Round-Up June 16, 2017

the question How do we know if the Levitt Foundation’s long-term creative placemaking investments in outdoor, permanent music venues are creating the desired impacts? bringing diverse groups of people together revitalizing public spaces providing access to high-quality programming strengthening social fabric of communities

some context Legacy—and critique—of using “indicators” frameworks for measuring impact of creative placemaking investments Impulse to bridge national indicators with Levitt- specific definitions of success Importance of assessing impact at multiple levels: individual concertgoers + community wide Emphasis on exploring how Levitt venues bring about change

A B C study design Multi-Level Impact Study Audience & Community Outcomes Exploration Established Pavilions (Memphis & Pasadena Concert exit survey Observation and interviewing at events Local stakeholder interviews Community discussion groups B C Pre/Post Community Outcomes Study Indirect Outcomes Assessment Denver Pavilion Analysis of secondary data sources (i.e., existing 3rd party data) Community ethnography Intercept interviews in mixed mode (qual + quant) Local stakeholder interviews

A B C study design Multi-Level Impact Study Audience & Community Outcomes Exploration Established Pavilions (Memphis & Pasadena Concert exit survey Observation and interviewing at events Local stakeholder interviews Community discussion groups B C Pre/Post Community Outcomes Study Indirect Outcomes Assessment

key findings Levitt venues offer a hybrid experience of the arts and community connection, facilitating interaction within existing social groups (“bonding social capital”) and meaningful social interactions across demographic boundaries (“bridging social capital”) The quality and variety of music programming plays an important role in appealing to a diverse cross-section of the community; being astute musical programmers is as important as creating welcoming public environments to Levitt’s success

key findings Venues and their programming reinvigorate public spaces, resulting in improved perceptions of the safety of the location and surrounding neighborhood; this contributes to community residents’ “pride of place” Venues played, and continue to play, an important catalytic and contributory role in broader community revitalizations—but were not solely responsible for these developments

implications In creative placemaking, programming is as important as place in providing a compelling and communal experience For music providers in particular, a venue’s programming can communicate subtle but important messages regarding who might feel welcome The physical and logistical attributes of a creative placemaking project will guide how people participate in and benefit from the experience

implications Communicating explicitly about a project’s community-building goals can help to engage participants and residents as informal ambassadors The history and sociology of a community, and the specific site chosen for a project, will profoundly inform the way the project unfolds Partnership, coordination, and collaboration are essential creative placemaking skills and key to ensuring a project remains community-driven