Arts & Culture

Smart Growth America’s arts & culture team works in close collaboration with SGA’s programs, with a special emphasis on supporting the integration of art and culture in transportation projects through Transportation for America.

At SGA, we believe that everyone in America—no matter their age, ability, income, or race—deserves the option to live in a place that is healthy, prosperous, and resilient. And America’s towns and cities deserve investment, stewardship, and supportive, thriving communities.

We believe that art and culture play a crucial role in supporting this vision by providing an organizing force for residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to work towards strengthening neighborhoods, by revealing the authentic character of communities, and by connecting citizens with decision makers to collectively pursue smart, equitable policies and projects.

Our arts & culture work is generously supported by the Kresge Foundation, ArtPlace America, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Staff spotlight: Marian Liou, SGA Director of Arts & Culture

Staff spotlight: Marian Liou, SGA Director of Arts & Culture

Marian Liou has served as Director of Smart Growth America’s Arts & Culture Program for a full year. Under her leadership, the program has expanded in scope, all while maintaining a steady pace of new resources and initiatives—such as the Transportation Artists in Residence report and a new grant program, Healing our Highways. We sat down with her to discuss her thoughts on the program’s current trajectory, as well as her vision for its future.

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Call for ideas: Healing our Highways through creativity, community, and culture (applications open)

Call for ideas: Healing our Highways through creativity, community, and culture (applications open)

Smart Growth America, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kresge Foundation, is requesting applications for our new grant program, Healing Our Highways. This initiative aims to generate creative ideas and activities that build knowledge, connections, and power within disadvantaged communities most harmed by transportation systems and climate change. The program … Continued

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