Over the past several years the Province of Ontario working with partners such as Municipal Cultural Planning Inc. have sought to promote more consistent definitions of municipal cultural planning, cultural mapping and other key ideas and tools to support Ontario municipalities in undertaking the work. The following definitions reflect the definitions and assumptions being promoted.
Municipal cultural planning (MCP) is a municipal government-led process approved by Council, for identifying and leveraging a community’s cultural resources, strengthening the management of those cultural resources, and integrating those cultural resources across all facets of municipal government planning and decision making.
MCP is part of an integrated, place-based approach to planning and development that takes into account four pillars of sustainability: economic prosperity, social equity, environmental responsibility and cultural vitality.
MCP is guided by 5 assumptions:
- Cultural resources – MCP embraces a broad definition of cultural resources that includes creative cultural industries, cultural spaces and facilities, natural and cultural heritage, festivals and events, and community cultural organizations.
- Cultural mapping – MCP begins with cultural mapping, a systematic approach to identifying and recording a community’s tangible and intangible cultural resources (often using Geographic Information Systems).
- Adopting a ‘cultural lens’ – MCP involves establishing processes to integrate culture as a consideration across all facets of municipal planning and decision-making.
- Cross-sectoral strategies – MCP requires new partnerships or shared governance mechanisms (such as Cultural Roundtables) to support ongoing collaboration between the municipality and its community and business partners.
- Networks and engagement – MCP involves strengthening networks across the cultural sector and comprehensive and ongoing strategies to support community engagement.
Municipal cultural planning makes greater demands of municipalities calling on them to play strategic leadership roles:
- Integrating culture into planning and decision-making across all departments;
- Working to strengthen cross-sectoral partnerships and collaboration with business and community partners;
- Building capacity by better connecting organizations and people working in the creative cultural sector.
