IDA + CDA
Place Matters
Photo Credit: Jeremy Ferguson, Executive Director of Animated Minds.
BIG ideas and insights from the West Coast’s 2026 Urban District Conference in
Long Beach, California
Securing Downtown’s Creative Future
Creativity drives downtown vitality, but rising real estate costs are pushing artists and makers out. This session introduces Creative Land Trusts as a tool to preserve affordable cultural spaces, stabilize creative communities and anchor long-term economic growth. Panelists will highlight breakthrough models, lessons learned and actionable approaches cities can replicate to safeguard their creative future.
Carolyn Choy
Liz O’Malley
Abra Allan
Julie Phelps
Creativity drives downtown vitality, but rising real estate costs are pushing artists and makers out. This session introduces Creative Land Trusts as a tool to preserve affordable cultural spaces, stabilize creative communities and anchor long-term economic growth. Panelists will highlight breakthrough models, lessons learned and actionable approaches cities can replicate to safeguard their creative future.
Learning Objectives:
Explain the role of Creative Land Trusts in strengthening downtown economies and creative ecosystems.
Ability to analyze case studies where land trusts secured long-term affordability for creative spaces.
dentify strategies to apply Creative Land Trust models to their own downtown development challenges.
Moderator:
Abra Allan, Founder/CEO, Big Creative Consulting (San Francisco, CA)
Speakers:
Carolyn Choy, Managing Director of Real Estate, Community Arts Stabilization Trust (San Francisco, CA)
Liz O’Malley, Director, Arts Strategy & Ventures, Kenneth Rainin Foundation (Oakland, CA)
Julie Phelps, Artistic & Executive Director emeritus, CounterPulse (San Francisco, CA)
Time and Location:
Wednesday, Mar 11 - 3:45 - 5:00pm - Centennial Salon D room