Arts & Culture Plan
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“The City’s vision for the year 2027 is of a safe and vibrant community with a balance of land uses, diverse housing options, a thriving arts community , a diversified and expanding year round economy, modern and well-maintained infrastructure, expanded community facilities and an outstanding quality of life.”
- ASBURY PARK MASTER PLAN REEXAMINATION REPORT (2017)
New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law grants towns the power to enact a master plan to set land-use priorities and direction. Master plans are long-range visions and incorporate multiple elements relevant to community development including, but not limited to housing, economic development, open space, transportation and community facilities. Asbury Park’s last comprehensive master plan was completed in 2006, but was re-examined in 2017, as is called for by State law. Among other recommendations pertaining to arts, artists, culture and cultural diversity, the 2017 Master Plan Reexamination Report explicitly calls for the creation of an Arts and Culture Plan for the City (Land Use Plan-Miscellaneous Recommendations Section 5.2.2.12 #2; p57). Such a plan would “…inventory the City’s arts and culture assets, identify areas most appropriate for an arts and culture district, identify a siting process and criteria for public art and identify programming and other actions necessary to support the City’s vibrant arts and culture community.”
The Asbury Park Arts Council is working with the City through the Planning Board to ensure that the Arts and Culture Plan is authored and adopted as part of the City’s Master Plan. The Asbury Park Arts Council is being joined in an advisory capacity on this matter by planning professionals from Monmouth County as well as the State of New Jersey Council on the Arts. With support from Monmouth Arts and the Monmouth County Covid 19 Community Recovery Grant Program for Non Profits, APAC has retained a planning firm that began working on the creation the Arts and Culture Plan in August 2022. The public is invited to participate in this planning process and the various ways to get involved are included in this website; please continue to check back for updates throughout the process.
