Hard-Hit Cities See Artists as the Answer

Some cities hit hard by foreclosures are helping artists set up shop and residences to stimulate revitalization projects.

Artists are known for being urban vanguards in blighted areas, but local government officials and nonprofits now view them as urban pioneers.

Artists are snapping up homes for as little as $100 in Detroit, and vacant shopping mall space in St. Louis is being transformed into studios with monthly rents as low as $100.

In Cleveland, the Northeast Shores Development Corp. has purchased nine foreclosed properties and is offering them to artists with rents or mortgages between $500 and $1,100.

These artists can assist in designing the homes or purchase them at low prices and renovate them on their own. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative rolled out the Pop Up City initiative to fill empty buildings with performance artists.

"The next phase is capitalizing on the presence of artist and art-related businesses and using it as the lever for high-density development," says Cleveland City Planning Commission director Bob Brown.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Alexandra Alter (04/17/09)