How NYC Create in Place is protecting cultural space through cross-agency collaboration
Project: Helping artists and small cultural organisations safeguard or expand their workspace in New York City
NYC Create in Place is a cross-agency initiative launched in 2024 to address the affordability crisis threatening the city’s cultural and creative sectors. Led by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the programme supports organisations at risk of losing space or seeking to expand. Through casework, a resource hub, and interagency collaboration, the initiative has reached over 30 organisations, safeguarding and strengthening New York’s creative infrastructure.
Addressing affordability and instability in the creative sector
New York City’s creative and cultural sector is grappling with a post-pandemic reality marked by longstanding challenges: lack of affordable creative workspace, shifting philanthropic priorities, the expiration of Covid-19 aid, and rising operational costs. Artists and cultural organisations – especially small to mid-sized groups – find it increasingly difficult to navigate complex government systems and access real estate, while also contending with audience behaviour changes and financial instability. For many, these pressures threaten long-term sustainability.
Launching a cross-agency solution to support creative space
In response, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) launched NYC Create in Place in December 2024. Inspired by London’s Culture at Risk Office which they discovered on a Leadership Exchange – backed by the World Cities Culture Forum and Bloomberg Philanthropies – the initiative offers a targeted, cross-sector approach to safeguarding and expanding creative spaces across the city’s five boroughs.
NYC Create in Place addresses both immediate threats, such as displacement, and longer-term goals like relocation or expansion. The programme works through a dedicated interagency working group that includes DCLA, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Small Business Services, City Planning, and others, ensuring cultural organisations can tap into a network of city resources and partners. New additions like the Office of Emergency Management and Landmarks Preservation further strengthen the programme’s collaborative capacity.
Practical tools to sustain cultural infrastructure
NYC Create in Place provides several tools tailored to help cultural groups manage the real estate and regulatory challenges they face. The online resource hub acts as a one-stop-shop, offering curated content on funding, legal assistance, space directories, and city requirements. Organisations can also register for direct casework and referrals, receiving personalised guidance on compliance, property risk, and expansion planning.
The initiative’s Creative Space Network allows landlords and organisations to list and locate available spaces for cultural use – strengthening local cultural infrastructure and supporting creative reuse of underutilised properties.
Educational outreach is also central. Through webinars and workshops in partnership with pro bono experts, the programme has provided training to more than 640 registrants, with hundreds more viewing the archived sessions on DCLA’s YouTube channel. Topics have included legal compliance, insurance, construction safety, and negotiating leases.
Coordinated impact across sectors
In just a few months, Create in Place has supported over 30 cultural organisations with diverse space needs. Some have sought urgent support to avoid displacement, while others are exploring strategic expansion, including establishing new cultural hubs in underserved areas. One museum received expert assistance in protecting its collection during neighbouring construction, highlighting the initiative’s adaptive, cross-sector support model.
