Starting in 2005 the Arts Council, the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, and the community began work around cultural economic development. If you notice our ArtsUnion programming that emerged from this efforts. We also started work on how zoning can support the arts in by rezoning Union Square. This work was adopted in April 2009.
Adopted in April 2009, an Arts Overlay District provided incentives for arts related development, including, density bonuses within the new transit oriented districts of Union Square. While this overlay was changed in 2019 zoning reform, this work was a precursor to our current Fabrication district and Arts and Creative Enterprise uses. To learn more about this prescient setting work, please read this “laymen’s guide” to the revised zoning. Download Rezoning Union Square The Arts Perspective (pdf) .
Working in partnership with the City of Somerville through a technical assistance grant awarded in 2020, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) conducted research and analysis to generate key findings about how development pressure impacts artists and arts organizations Somerville. The City of Somerville convened a task force of knowledgeable individuals to provide insights and guidance to MAPC staff throughout the process. This final report includes a summary of analyses quantifying the relative exposure to development pressure across Somerville and documenting the impact of development pressures of artists and arts organizations. In addition, it provides recommendations for short term and long-term actions the City can take to mitigate the impacts of development pressure on working artists and the organizations serving them.
To learn more about this work, please see the Somerville Arts Space Risk Assessment (2022).
If you are a developer and would like to discuss a project please contact our Arts Planner, Michael Rosenberg in our office.