Beyond the Box

The Glendale Urban Art Program seeks to promote a diverse and stimulating cultural environment to enrich the quality of life for residents and visitors. The Program anticipates a diverse range of art experiences throughout the city’s commercial districts, enlivening the public space available during the everyday routines of walking to work, eating at a sidewalk café, or shopping. Placing permanent works of art in key public locations helps establish a cultural legacy for the City by allowing the shared cultural experience of art, accessible to all, to extend over many generations. The Program indicates the City’s commitment to providing its citizens with public spaces and structures that enhance the experience and appearance of the City through the inclusion of art.

The Urban Art Ordinance establishes the requirements and procedures for providing public art in conjunction with new developments, or to pay an in-lieu fee into the Urban Art Fund. The Urban Art Guidelines outline the purpose, goals, management, and authority of the Urban Art Program and Fund. The Guidelines encourage the creative interaction of artists, developers, city officials and community members during the design of development projects in order to develop public art that is meaningful to the site and the community. The Guidelines address the developer’s obligation and options in meeting the public art requirement, and identify the City’s responsibility in providing public art through the Urban Art Fund. The Guidelines also address application procedures, review and approval authority and process for both on-site installations and citywide installations. In addition, the Guidelines address art fund contributions.

The Urban Art Ordinance was initiated in 2006 with the adoption of the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP). On December 14, 2010, Glendale City Council adopted ordinances (Ordinances #5720, 5721 to expand the ordinance city-wide.

The Ordinance applies to new buildings and structures, or to the alteration or repair of buildings or structures valued at $500,000 or more as determined by the Building Official. Projects located in the commercial and mixed-use zones are subject to the Ordinance. The requirement does not apply to Industrial or Residential zones.

The Ordinance provides the option to install the art on-site, or to make an in-lieu payment:

• On-site art equals 2 percent (2%) of the project value, or
• In-lieu payment equals 1 percent (1%) of the project value.

As Principal Urban Designer at the City of Glendale, Alan Loomis was the lead urban design consultant to Arts & Culture Commission staff preparing the Urban Art Ordinance.