What is a cultural district?
Cultural districts must:
- Have cultural facilities and assets
- Have defined boundaries
- Be walkable and accessible
- Have public infrastructure and amenities
Cities and towns must:
- Be in Connecticut
- Hold at least one community input meeting for people to learn about the proposed cultural district and goals
- Form a Cultural District Commission
- Pass a supporting resolution
When a district spans more than one municipality:
- Both must have a supporting resolution
If your municipality has more than one cultural district:
- It needs to pass only one resolution
Preparing Your Proposal
Your municipality will create a map that:
- Shows the boundaries of the proposed cultural district and where it’s located (color maps are best).
- Includes a key to the cultural assets and defines a scale of distance.
- Shows the location of nonprofit and for-profit cultural assets, such as:
- Cultural facilities
- Artistic spaces
- Creative businesses
- Historic sites
- Indoor and outdoor cultural activities, such as festivals and art shows. If applicable, list the events and activities that take place at each location.
Your Designated Regional Service Organization (DRSO) may be able to help identify and develop a list of assets. Your map can also mark cultural assets located outside the proposed district. To create your map, we recommend using a Geographic Information System (GIS), Google Maps, or other asset mapping software.