LGBTQ Prides: Tool for Urban Revitalization?

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to engage and partner with under-represented constituencies — including LGBTQ communities and communities of color — in planning and development
• How to use culture to enhance neighborhood character, revitalize neighborhood spaces and cities, and grow the economy in ways that promote social inclusion
• How to broaden planning activities to include social justice and celebration of peoples and groups as explicit goals and how you can be an advocate in achieving this

MORE SESSION DETAILS

Cultural events are unequivocally fundamental to placemaking, community building, and economic development and are part of what makes communities diverse and inclusive. The larger these events, the more their impact on a neighborhood or city’s economy and fundamental fabric. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) communities have demonstrated how events can become a regional phenomenon and help anchor an entire neighborhood or city. LGBTQ pride events have become destination events in major cities across the world, especially the United States, and evidence of economic benefits is robust. Mid-sized and smaller cities have more recently joined in this phenomenon, raising the question of the role of LGBTQ pride events in smaller cities. What is the relationship between pride events and LGBTQ-based tourism and businesses in mid-sized and smaller cities? Are pride events a reliable tool for economic development? What role should urban planners have in helping cities understand the relationship between LGBTQ pride events, local economies, neighborhoods, and public spaces? Explore case studies where planners have linked LGBTQ pride events to urban-revitalization efforts.