Avoiding the ‘SoHo Effect’ in Baltimore: Neighborhood Revitalization and Arts and Entertainment Districts

Abstract

This article investigates how state‐sponsored ‘arts and cultural districts' and ‘creative placemaking' revitalization strategies affect urban neighborhoods, using the Station North Arts & Entertainment (A&E) District in Baltimore, Maryland (USA) as a case study. Through ethnographic participatory methods and 39 qualitative interviews, we studied the activities and attitudes of various stakeholders within Station North. Since its designation as an arts and entertainment district in 2002, a number of public–private partnerships have helped increase home values in Station North, suggesting that the ‘branding' of Station North has been successful. While the institutions involved in the district, including community development corporations and local universities, are careful to insist that they do not want to displace low‐income residents, many interviewees expressed concerns that these institutions exert influence outweighing that of longtime residents. While a certain level of gentrification has occurred with the arrival of new residents, we argue that the people who are most likely to be displaced from the arts and entertainment district in the future are, paradoxically, artists, especially those who wish to buy homes and settle in the district. After discussing the case of Station North, we consider broader implications of the use of arts for urban revitalization.

Place Branding and Its Discontents: The Politics and Management of Neighborhood Governance Systems

“…The literature shows that it can come from a variety of sources, from municipal agencies (Babey and Giauque 2009), regions (Kavaratzis and Kalandides 2015), or entire countries (Papadopoulos and Heslop 2002). At the local level, branding and rebranding neighborhoods has become a key strategy for revitalizing arts and entertainment districts (Rich and Tsitsos 2016) as well as working-class immigrant communities (Wherry 2011).…”

The Impact of the Livestock Friendly Designation on the Nebraska Cattle Industry: A Difference-in-Difference with Staggered Treatment Analysis

“…Non-food-related designations in the literature include designations such as floodplain (Meldrum, 2016), conservation area (Ahlfeldt et al, 2017), historic district (Angjellari-Dajci and Cebula, 2016), arts and cultural district (Rich and Tsitsos, 2016), ozone non-attainment (Sheriff, Ferris, and Shadbegian, 2019), and enterprise zone designation (Zhang, 2015). The studies investigate the impacts of designations on a variety of outcome variables such as real estate value, employment, and income.…”

“…For example, Angiellani-Dajci and Cebula (2016) investigate the impact of national historic district designation on the sales price of residential properties in St. Augustine, Florida, and conclude that the property sales prices are positively affected by various historical designations. Rich and Tsitsos (2016) conduct a case study of Station North Arts and Entertainment District in Baltimore, Maryland, and conclude that home values have increased in Station North since the Art and Entertainment District designation. Zhang (2015) studies the impact of the Louisville Enterprise Zone program on the growth of different industries and concludes that the enterprise zone program has significantly increased the growth of service and manufacturing activities in Louisville.…”

New Urban Regimes in Baltimore: Higher Education Anchor Institutions and Arts and Culture–Based Neighborhood Revitalization

“…The negative perspective some neighborhood stakeholders have regarding gentrification in Station North (and its resultant resident and business displacement) means that anchor institutions involved in community development must walk a fine line between revitalization and gentrification. We have explored this issue previously (Rich & Tsitsos, 2016) and have found that it is an almost impossible task, given the diverse interests of the stakeholders in Station North. At the interpersonal level, neighborhood residents, including longtimers, newcomers, and artists, engage in give-and-take in their interactions with each other.…”

“…The three main players in the area-MICA, JHU, and University of Baltimore (UB)have dedicated many resources in Station North, even though none of these institutions situate their main campuses in this neighborhood. UB, a public Reprinted from Rich, M. A., & Tsitsos, W. (2016). Avoiding the "SoHo Effect" in Baltimore: Neighborhood revitalization and arts & entertainment districts.…”