Mayor Eric Adams’ blueprint safeguards New York’s cultural assets

The Purpose
The blueprint focuses on investing in the city through supporting entrepreneurship, reactivating the public realm, and forward-looking equity-centred recovery. The plan is aimed at working people and families and centres on supporting entrepreneurs, breaking down bureaucracy and silos between city departments, promoting equity, and working across sectors (business, philanthropy, labour, and community-based organizations).

The Challenge
In 2022, newly-elected Mayor Eric Adams introduced the plan Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery, to address the significant impacts of the pandemic on the city.

As part of the ‘Restarting Economic Engines’ strand of the blueprint, the Mayor’s office has announced a new ‘Culture at Risk’ response team tasked with defending community cultural assets in the city.

The Solution
As part of the ‘Restarting Economic Engines’ strand of the blueprint, the Mayor’s office has announced a new ‘Culture at Risk’ response team tasked with defending community cultural assets in the city.

The team, led by the Mayor’s Office and tapping into the expertise of agencies including the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (including its Office of Nightlife), Department of Small Business Services, and others, will provide targeted assistance to those entities facing closure and will serve as a one-stop-shop to help entities navigate government bureaucracy, provide technical assistance, and identify financial assistance.

The Impact
The program is inspired by similar work taking place in London with the 2016 launch of their Culture at Risk office, working with businesses and building owners to mitigate commercial risks for cultural organizations.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Images Courtesy © City of New York