[Forum] PITTSFIELD CULTURAL PLANNING

[Charles Bonenti]

With all the great discussion I've been reading in this space the
past few days about Pittsfield's activism in cultural development, I
toss in this article some of you may have seen in Tuesday's Berkshire
Eagle about the process the city is putting into place.

Charles Bonenti
Features Editor


By Tony Dobrowolski 

Berkshire Eagle Staff 


PITTSFIELD -- City officials are interested in what Pittsfield
residents think about cultural development. 

A cultural survey that offers people the opportunity to provide their
views on that topic was recently established as part of the city's
first-ever cultural planning process. 

"We're looking for information," said cultural development director
Megan Whilden. "We're trying to find out what people are doing, what
they'd like to see more of. There's also room for people to write in
comments as well." 


Next phase in development 


Whilden said the survey, which is available both online and in
printed form, is the next phase in the development of a cultural plan
for the city. When completed, this document is expected to act as a
three- to five-year "road map" intended to establish Pittsfield as a
center of culture, arts and entertainment in the Berkshires and
beyond. 

The plan is intended to identify strategies to increase arts and
culture for all Pittsfield residents, continue the expansion of the
city's cultural sector, and attract new individuals and businesses
interested in participating and investing in the city's creative
economy. 

An eight-member volunteer board, the Cultural Plan Steering
Committee, has been formed to create the document. Whilden said the
committee is working closely with the Master Plan Advisory Committee,
currently upgrading Pittsfield's 14-year-old master plan, and the
Berkshire County-wide Creative Economic Strategy Project. 

The cultural planning process began last October. 

"It's a year-long process," Whilden said. "We started by interviewing
all the different organizations and businesses that are part of the
cultural landscape. The next step is the survey to see what people
are interested in and what they would like to see more of." 


Printed and online forms 


The cultural survey is available in printed form at the Lichtenstein
Center for the Arts on Rennie Avenue, the Berkshire Athenaeum on
Wendell Avenue and at City Hall. It can be accessed online at either
culturalpittsfield.com or by linking to "take the cultural survey"
under the latest news of the city section on Pittsfield's official
Web site, www.Pittsfield.com. The deadline for responding to the
survey is April 1. 

Once the survey results have been compiled, Whilden said the next
step will probably be the scheduling of a public meeting sometime in
the spring. She said the committee hopes to have both a report and
action steps completed by this fall. 

Tony Dobrowolski can be reached at tdobrowolski at berk shireeagle.com
or at (413) 496-6224. 



Features Editor
The Berkshire Eagle
Box 1171
Pittsfield MA 01202
Tel 413 496 6211