Building Community Character
Building Community Character
Cultural Districts and the Future of Katy
By Terri Bieber, State Arts-in-Education Chairman, Texas PTA Healthy Lifestyles and the Arts, Cultural District overview provided by Jim Bob McMillan, Deputy Director, Texas Commission on the Arts
Across the nation, many cities have successfully created communities that provide an environment that promotes a full spectrum of human needs and desires that contribute to a happy and healthy lifestyle. Businesses that cater to physical and mental well-being, parks and green spaces, outdoor activities, heritage centers, fine arts and culture, quality employment, and educational opportunities comprise these cohesive communities. Among other things, communities known as Cultural Districts work to stimulate the economy, improve opportunities for social networking, and get individuals involved in the grassroots efforts of an interconnected community.
These Cultural Districts are meant to attract both new-comers and long time residents, bring in tourists, and encourage startup businesses by giving people a chance to easily improve the overall quality of their lives without having to leave their own community. The most successful cities in Texas are linking their unique culture and history, quality educational institutions, health, physical environment, and arts and culture to offer residents a lifestyle that offers the “total package”—all of those people, places, and things that play a major role in determining the condition of our daily lives. One of the biggest draws of these cultural districts is that they offer something for everyone; people in every stage of their lives can reap the benefits. Katy, with its population and residential density, interesting history, and its ideal location at the intersection of three counties could be the next city in Texas to benefit from the development of a Cultural District.
A cultural district can serve as a visual, geographical, and emotional reference point for residents. These districts offer an attractive and clear architectural landmark that includes a mixed-use concentration of cultural facilities that serve as the heart of that landmark. Cultural Districts can be found in communities of various sizes, from small towns to large and urban cities. The inclusion of cultural arts and heritage facilities can be appealing to families and individuals who desire having easy access to a multi-dimensional life experience. Perhaps it’s the novelty of small town convenience combined with the big city activities that attracts these residents to a community that might have a world-renowned hospital right next to the fine arts center.
The establishment of cultural districts in the Katy area will boost the economy and create one of these utopian-esque communities. “Right now the city of Katy is in a good position to explore the benefits of a cultural district”, said Carol Adams, City of Katy Council Member. “I think we recognize that as the area grows we have to nurture ideas like this. Cultural and historic districts help establish a destination and promote economic development. In the heart of old town Katy this could be a unique opportunity to improve lifestyle, support existing and new businesses, and attract visitors”.
The development of such a district will support the cultivation of the arts and entertainment industry including children’s museums, science and discovery centers, galleries, community theaters, and artists’ studios. Cultural Districts could also expand Katy’s very successful Heritage Society approach to promote cultural and historical preservation and tourism.
Katy’s exemplary and award-winning schools are already in position to naturally and positively merge with a proposed Cultural District. The Katy Independent School District is responsible for high educational standards that support the city’s growth and this is already one of the major draws to the city. New state of the art medical centers are addressing the full scope of health needs, and large and small businesses in the area are driving a strong economic engine, making Katy highly successful. How do successful cities like Katy design long term growth plans that will continue to catapult them into the next stage of development? The answer for cities like Katy could be found in the formation of Cultural Districts, as authorized by H.B. 2208 of the 79th Legislature. This bill allows cities to seek support from the Texas Commission on the Arts to designate Cultural Districts within a city.
An expert on the subject of Cultural Districts is Jim Bob McMillan, Deputy Director of the Texas Commission on the Arts. He describes the impact of cultural districts on communities such as Katy in terms of tourism activity, artist advancement, job creation, property value enhancement, and downtown revitalization. Cultural districts boost urban revitalization in many ways:
Beautify and animate cities
Provide employment
Attract residents and tourists to the community
Complement adjacent businesses
Enhance property values
Expand the tax base
Attract well-educated employees
Contribute to a creative, innovative environment
No two cultural districts are alike, and Katy’s would be distinctive in its own right. Each district reflects the community’s unique environment, history, and use of land, growth, and cultural development. Cultural District designations include Historical and Cultural Districts, Arts and Entertainment Districts, Museum Districts and Theater Districts. These kinds of districts facilitate the development of performance spaces, museums, galleries, artist studios, arts-related retail shops, music or media production studios, dance studios, high schools or colleges dedicated to the arts, libraries, arboretums and gardens.
Cultural districts with an arts and entertainment focus offer popular attractions for younger audiences and tend to have a more bohemian feel than the major museum districts. Small theaters, private art galleries, and quaint restaurants are the primary anchors of attraction, but major arts facilities, or a community center may also be present. Arts and entertainment districts tend to be located near the central business districts and major tourist sites in communities.
A Cultural District that encompasses most of the downtown area, including the central business district will use all of a community’s cultural attractions, like the heritage park to attract citizens and visitors. “Culture” in these districts is broadly defined and includes major arts institutions, popular attractions, restaurants, parks and tourism sites. This model tends to be established in smaller communities where the downtown can be more easily packaged as a destination.
The most important thing to note about cultural districts is that, despite the fact that a downtown or City of Katy approach would be unique, the development of this kind of cultural legacy does not necessarily just apply to cities or a city proper. Developers, investors, and non-profit organizations with determination and a plan can all jump on the bandwagon to make cultural improvements to any area around a city - even unincorporated ones. The benefits of this kind of community enhancement would no doubt lend a hand in cementing Katy’s bright future. “Cultural Districts help to reflect the character of the communities they reside in and provide them with the sense of authenticity and originality that all great towns exhibit,” said Texas State Senator Glenn Hegar. “It was my pleasure to vote in favor of the law that authorized their formation because I know that the charm and warmth that they lend to communities is just what people look for when vacationing or choosing a place to live.”
More information on Cultural Districts is available online at the Texas Commission on the Arts website www.arts.state.tx.us.org under Arts Business Development. To learn more about the Texas PTA and the conversations linked to Healthy Lifestyles and the Arts visit www.txpta.org