Developing a framework for assessing the impact of public art for main streets

Purpose Public art is a vital contributor to urban placemaking and provides numerous economic, social and cultural benefits. Main streets are hubs of urban activity and are often managed by organizations, such as Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), that install and manage public art. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore the impact of public art within main streets and the value of resources for stakeholders to evaluate these impacts, in addition to building a framework to inform the development of evaluation tools and techniques targeted to main street organizations. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative exploratory study involved a thematic analysis of semi-structured key informant interviews with 10 main street representatives based in Toronto, Canada, as well as a content analysis of BIA websites. Findings This research corroborates previous literature on the economic, social and cultural impacts of public art, which often focuses on public art in cities and large urban areas, and demonstrates that many of these impacts also apply to the hyper-local context of main streets. Additionally, main street stakeholders have a need for resources to aid in evaluating and disseminating these impacts to assist with improved decision-making, securing funding and garnering support for public art projects. Originality/value This study explores the impacts of public art within the context of main streets and puts forth a public art impact matrix for main streets informed by literature and interview findings, as a foundational framework to further the development of resources to evaluate the impacts of public art in main street communities.