City of Santa Clarita
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2016)
Reporting Period: 2016
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Arts and Culture
Social Achievements
- Increased community engagement involving approximately 1,250 residents and workers through a Stakeholder Committee, key person interviews, focus groups, AMPED Arts Summit, and a community survey.
- Developed sixteen public art projects since 2009.
- Arts & Events Office budget grew to $2.2 million, expanding programs to include new events, arts education, exhibitions, public art, and grants.
Governance Achievements
- Created the Arts & Events Office in 2003 and formed the Arts Commission in 2009.
- Developed an Arts Blueprint in 2013 with analysis and policy recommendations.
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Explore future development of a community arts center.
- Explore future development of a larger regional performing arts center.
- Explore development of Santa Clarita Valley historic assets as a collection of attractions.
Medium-term Goals:
- Develop a plan for an outdoor amphitheater.
- Increase the total Arts Grants budget.
- Develop a comprehensive community-wide arts and cultural marketing program.
Short-term Goals:
- Implement a public art planning and selection process.
- Enact a percent-for-art requirement for public capital improvement projects.
- Explore extension of the percent-for-art requirement to new private development.
- Create a program of temporary public art.
Environmental Challenges
- Audience leakage to other cities for most cultural activities.
- Need for additional cultural offerings and facilities.
- Lack of sufficient marketing efforts to inform the community about arts events and activities.
- Challenges in sustainable arts funding.
- Persistent divisions in the community due to differences in race and class.
Mitigation Strategies
- Extensive community engagement to identify needs and priorities.
- Recommendations for increased arts funding, including a percent-for-art program and allocation from the Transit Occupancy Tax.
- Recommendations for improved arts marketing and a comprehensive community-wide program.
- Recommendations for addressing diversity and inclusion through programming, grants, and technical assistance.