Title: Museums as urban catalysts: the role of urban design in flagship cultural development. In: Journal of Urban Design 13(2): 195-212.

Author(s): Carl Grodach

Organisation(s): School of Urban and Public Affairs, University of Texas at Arlington, USA

Categories: Arts, culture and regeneration

Objectives: To explore how urban design and context affect the ability of flagship cultural institutions to act as catalyst; to assess the overall significance of these factors in relation to regional social and economic issues.

Key Findings: The author concludes that the regional context in which a cultural catalyst operates needs to be taken into account, as certain urban design characteristics can negatively affect the ability of a project to attract visitors and generate commercial activity. At the same time, however, factors beyond the local context may be an overriding factor in project outcomes thus calling into question the concept of cultural catalyst. The two case studies suggest that cities should consider the flagship cultural project as a means of building on existing arts-based activity, rather than creating it in its own right.

Methods: The relationship between urban design, local economic development and the institutional needs of the cultural facilities is studies through two case studies of contemporary arts museums in Los Angeles and San Jose (CA), which can be considered to be flagship cultural institutions. The analysis is based on interviews with city officials, cultural facility staff, neighbourhood organisations and members of the local arts community, as well as documentary sources.