Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a tourist destination for over 20 million people each year and it is also home for over 300,000 people. This tension — between the needs and interests of residents and the visitor attractions in the City — creates a complex dynamic in which to plan for arts and cultural development. WolfBrown was retained to develop a cultural plan that speaks to the cultural needs, interests, and priorities of residents. This was based on a sense among City officials that it was important to focus on residents’ concerns in order to establish balance between residents and visitors.
With a strong population of immigrants, most recently from Latin America, Anaheim is an increasingly diverse city. The consultants met with over 100 residents and conducted a series of community meetings (which were simultaneously translated into Spanish for Latino attendees). The plan provides a baseline inventory about the City’s cultural assets as well as an assessment of local cultural organizations and their capacity to better serve the needs of residents of the City and region. It also explores several options for reusing older buildings for cultural purposes and proposes other initiatives to highlight the culture of Anaheim’s resident populations.
Go to www.anaheim.net