CultureBlocks: Bringing Arts and Culture into the Urban Policy Mix

Tuesday, October 8, 9:50am – 10:50am

Organized and presented by Moira Baylson, Deputy Cultural Officer, City of Philadelphia, Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

Presented by Mark Stern, Kenneth L. Pray Professor of Social Policy, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania.

CultureBlocks is a free mapping tool that visualizes data and supports decision-making around place and creativity in Philadelphia. This session will showcase who is using the tool and how it is informing initiatives, including the ways that cultural, economic, social, and demographic data are informing strategic decision-making and efforts to develop new policies and resources to support arts and culture. The presentation will use the development of a social well-being index for the city and the analysis of the relationship between social well-being and cultural engagement as an example of using CultureBlocks to inform urban policy.