Energizing City Design

Building on the work of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design to transform communities by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities, the National Endowment for the Arts has announced a new initiative to assist mayors in their design efforts.

The NEA Mayors' Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative will support diverse projects across the country in communities of all sizes. Projects may include planning, design, and arts engagement activities.

Launching the initiative at the United States Conference of Mayors, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman highlighted the role of smart design, artists and arts organizations as place-makers.

"Artists are entrepreneurs, small businessmen all, great place-makers and community builders. Bring artists into the center of town and that town changes profoundly. We know now that people do not migrate to businesses. It is businesses that will move to where they can find a skilled, motivated, educated workforce. And what does that workforce look for? In survey after survey, the answer is education and culture."

Application to MICD 25 is open to the 600 cities (or their designees) that have participated in the MICD since 1986 or are committed to participate in an institute in 2010.

See the Chairman’s speech here and more information on the initiative and application guidelines here.

  

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