Nationally, the arts industry generated $135.2 billion of economic activity - $61.1 billion by the nation's nonprofit arts and culture organizations in addition to $74.1 billion in event-related expenditures by their audiences. This economic activity supports 4.1 million full-time jobs. Our industry also generates $22.3 billion in revenue to local, state, and federal governments every year - a yield well beyond their collective $4 billion in arts allocations.

With concerns over job creation and business growth holding a prominent - and persistent - position on policy agendas today, governors are increasingly calling on state agencies to support economic growth. It's not just economic and workforce development agencies that governors want on the case. Some governors are including state arts agencies in this all-hands-on-deck approach and are putting in place policies and programs using arts, culture, and design as a means to enhance economic growth.

Securing adequate funding is the cornerstone of any public art program. Aside from donations from private individuals and corporations, there are a number of approaches through which to garner financial support for art. These ways can be broken into four broad tracts: public/private sector endeavors; percent- and non-percent-for-art programs; developer participation; and local funding sources.

Collectively, arts and culture enable understanding of the past and envisioning of a shared, more equitable future. In disinvested communities, arts and culture act as tools for equitable development- shaping infrastructure, transportation, access to healthy food, and connecting community identity to the development of a vibrant local economy. In communities of color and low-income communities, arts and culture contribute to strengthening cultural identity, healing trauma, and fostering shared vision for community.

Terms such as "creative economy," "creative class," and "cultural economy" are becoming more common among urban planners, arts administrators, economic developers, and business and municipal leaders. These terms reference a variety of types of jobs, people, and industries, including the sectors of visual, performing, and literary arts, as well as applied fields like architecture, graphic design, and marketing. Whatever label is used, this use of terminology linking culture and the economy indicates recognition of the connections among the fields of planning, economic development, and arts and culture. The activities of the arts and culture sector and local economic vitality are connected in many ways.

America is growing older. The implications and costs of this extraordinary demographic shift are now upon us. In the public arena, every day brings hand-wringing from leaders in government and business over the increasing strains on social safety nets and health-care systems. On a personal level, we want to know where we'll live, how we'll take care of ourselves, and whether we'll enjoy meaning and dignity as we age. How should we respond to the aging of America? Of course, there are societal and personal challenges that may seem daunting and must be addressed. But it's not all dire news. Aging Americans want to remain healthy, active, engaged, and contributing members of society. They represent not only a challenge but also an opportunity - the chance to build a better and stronger America. Across the country, leaders are developing exciting solutions to enable successful aging.

If ecologies evolve through diversification, cities mature through aggregation of talent and resources. The Creative Corridor Plan is premised upon the aggregation of complementary creative organizations currently scattered throughout Little Rock. Some of these groups exist at the financial margin and struggle to stay alive. Their ability to secure greater visibility and support will likely be amplified through new synergies from aggregation. Facilities slated to anchor The Creative Corridor include instruction and production spaces for the symphony, ballet, arts center, visual artists, theater, and dance, as well as a culinary arts economy that triangulates restaurants, demonstration, and education.

This ordinance applies to all residential zones with a density less than or equal to eight dwelling units per acre; requires the minimum size of an open space development to be five acres; provides that open space is a by-right form of development, and does not require a special exception or additional review; exempts plans registered before the adoption of the ordinance from the provisions of this ordinance; restricts the total number of residential units allowed within an open space development to the number of units that would otherwise be allowed in the existing zoning district using conventional development; and prohibits development in designated open spaces in the future.

In this paper, the 21st Century School Fund and the Center for Cities and Schools at the University of California Berkeley provide a conceptual frame for the joint use of PK-12 public schools. There is a growing conversation about and demand for joint use as a way to provide services to children and families in convenient locations, improve opportunities for physical activity by increasing use of school recreational and outdoor spaces, leverage capital investments, and more. However, engaging in joint use, particularly intensive sharing of space or use by multiple parties, presents ongoing challenges to school and community leaders. In this paper, we frame the basic challenges and opportunities for joint use to facilitate better conversations and planning for these type of collaborations.

Denver's 5 By 5 Project aims to provide Denver Head Start children and families with at least 5 cultural experiences by the age of 5, putting into action their belief that the municipality can and should play a role in improving the "school readiness" of the City's children. The 5 By 5 Project enhances learning for Denver's young children by offering free admission to the city's premier cultural institutions. A central purpose of Denver's 5 By 5 Project is to provide parents with enjoyable and fulfilling experiences as first teachers of their young children and increase family engagement.