How a city organizes creative economy policy matters. Where authority sits, who is responsible for results, what capacity exists, and how agencies coordinate all shape how effectively government turns ideas into action. We help cities assess how their creative economy work is organized, clarify roles and responsibilities, identify gaps and opportunities, and develop practical approaches to work more strategically, efficiently, and effectively.

Assess How It Works

Understand how creative economy policy is currently organized and administered: where authority sits, who does what, what resources and expertise are available, and how different agencies and partners interact.

Identify Opportunities

Look across the structure to identify places where roles could be clearer, capacity could be strengthened, responsibilities better aligned, or agencies better connected. Bring in lessons from how other cities have organized their creative economy work.

Build Better Connections

Help cities consider practical ways to improve coordination across the agencies, departments, and partners that shape creative economy policy—so that existing resources and expertise can work together more effectively.

Creative work needs places to happen, resources to grow, and connections to opportunity.

We help cities and organizations think strategically about the infrastructure their creative communities need, including places to work, perform, make, and gather. We help clients assess existing assets and needs, explore opportunities for colocation and connection, and develop strategies to strengthen the infrastructure around creative work.

*

Assess & Map

Understand the creative infrastructure already in place: the spaces, organizations, businesses, institutions, funders, and other assets that support creative work. Identify what exists, who is connected to what, and where resources or opportunities may be missing.

Discover New Uses

Look at existing places, resources, and relationships with fresh eyes. Identify underutilized assets, and explore how they could be adapted, shared, repurposed, or connected differently to create more opportunities for creative work.

Create Connections

Explore the power of colocation, bringing creative workers, businesses, organizations, and resources into proximity. Identify where shared or connected spaces could encourage collaboration, strengthen networks, and create opportunities that might not happen otherwise.

The way people work is changing faster than the systems designed to support them. More workers are piecing together their livelihoods through part-time jobs, freelance work, independent contracting, temporary or on-call work, and self-employment. For some, this provides flexibility and autonomy; for others, it is a necessity because many jobs lack predictable hours, benefits, or a clear path to economic security.

We help cities and organizations understand how changing work is affecting people in their communities, assess what support already exists, and explore approaches being tested elsewhere. She helps clients identify needs, map resources and gaps, connect with people and models beyond their own community, and develop practical strategies for strengthening economic security.

*

Understand the Landscape
Research how workers are experiencing changing employment patterns, identify community needs, and map the programs, benefits, workforce systems, and other resources already available.

Find What’s Working
Look beyond the immediate community to find promising approaches, policies, and models in other cities and jurisdictions—and assess how those approaches might, or might not, fit the needs, resources, and realities of your own community.

Explore Practical Strategies
Bring community needs, existing resources, and lessons from other places together to help clients identify opportunities, consider options, and determine what might be worth testing or developing locally.