Draft Unveiled for Citywide Cultural Plan

August 28, 2024 | City News Team

The City of San Diego is seeking public input on its draft cultural plan, Creative City. This plan will set a strategic framework for advancing arts, culture and creativity in San Diego’s diverse communities over the next 10 years and position the City and transborder region as an equitable place of inspiration and prosperity.

“Creative City is designed to ensure that arts and culture are not just accessible but woven into the fabric of every neighborhood in San Diego,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. "This is more than just a plan — it’s a vision for how arts and culture can uplift and connect all of our communities. I encourage every San Diegan to share their feedback and help us shape a vibrant and inclusive creative future for our city."

Launched in November 2022, the citywide planning process to develop the draft cultural plan included public engagement sessions to better understand San Diegans’ arts and culture needs, interests and priorities. Over the past year, during the Listen and Engage phase of the cultural planning process, the City facilitated 70 events and activities and gathered input from nearly 1,800 people. These included public forums and events, an online public survey, industry/sector-specific discussion groups, artist-led workshops and events, stakeholder interviews, community-led conversations and public meetings to present initial findings and emerging directions. 

Complementary research has included a review of existing conditions and City initiatives regarding cultural equity and creative economy, an assessment of City-owned cultural facilities, and research into funding sources for arts and culture.

The draft plan sets forth a vision and actionable strategies to sustain and grow San Diego's vibrant creative ecosystems, where arts and culture advance dialogue, development and diversity — defining San Diego as a global creative capital. It aligns arts and culture with the City’s priorities as identified in the Strategic Plan, and outlines goals including Centering Arts, Arts in Community, Creative Entrepreneurship and Global Creative City.

“Aspirations and insights provided by creatives and artists from visual and performing arts, film and media, cross-sector businesses and organizations, and San Diego residents from every Council District helped shape the draft plan,” said Jonathon Glus, Executive Director of Arts and Culture. “We want to ensure we have included the essential needs, so we’re inviting the public to review the draft and provide additional comment on the findings and recommendations proposed to support and strengthen a future with culture and creativity at the center of San Diego's collective wellbeing and livelihood.”

The City is continuing its engagement process with new events and a feedback form — ensuring all San Diegans can participate in the cultural planning process. San Diegans are encouraged to review the draft plan at sandiego.gov/creative-city/get-involved and provide feedback by Oct. 12, 2024.

San Diegans can also attend the Creative City Open House at the Comic-Con Museum on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon to learn about the cultural planning process and participate in informal conversations about the draft recommendations where attendees can share input on the draft plan and weigh in on the city's creative future.

Public feedback on the draft plan will inform the final draft, which will be presented to the full San Diego City Council for deliberation and adoption in early 2025.

The City of San Diego advances and drives an equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by investing in the work of artists and creatives and the institutions and systems that amplify creative work and experiences. To sign up for updates and learn more, visit sandiego.gov/arts-culture.

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Draft Unveiled for Citywide Cultural Plan

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