In February 2012, the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) commenced an exciting initiative to develop a cultural plan for the city. Launched by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in October 2012, the plan created a framework to guide Chicago’s future cultural and economic growth. The Chicago Cultural Plan 2012 is the centerpiece of the city’s strategy o becoming a global destination for creativity, innovation and excellence. As a direct result of the Cultural Plan process, DCASE is working collaboratively with sister governmental agencies like the Departments of Housing and Economic Development, Education, Innovation and Technology and countless other city entities to fulfill the 200+ initiatives of the Plan. While we have always worked with these departments, our level of partnership now far exceeds what had been happening before.
We positioned ourselves for success during the Plan’s development by including staff from other agencies on the Plan’s steering committee and in stakeholder and priority-setting workshops. We also engaged Mayor Emanuel’s entire Cabinet, paving the way for later interagency buy-in and cooperation. This work is now bearing fruit with several sister departments having held staff retreats to review the Cultural Plan and explore how it may relate to or improve their work.
For example, the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) newly issued Pedestrian Plan addresses ways to enhance the pedestrian experience by populating vacant commercial storefronts with temporary arts uses, adding artworks to plazas, and enlivening viaducts and covered walkways with murals and mosaics.... Another partnership is through CDOT’s Make Way for People program. Rendering of Great Chicago Fire Festival as seen from Chicago Riverwalk. Photo courtesy of Redmoon Theater. The program’s "People Plazas" are focused on activating vacant public plazas in the middle of neighborhood commercial districts. DCASE will be supporting free cultural programs in the plazas...
By working together with all sectors – public, private, and government – the Plan has created a path to reach and impact the lives of every Chicagoan through the arts.
Rendering of Great Chicago Fire Festival as seen from Chicago Riverwalk. Photo courtesy of Redmoon Theater.
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