Firm Completes Community-Centric Planning Effort to Enhance City’s Cultural Ecosystem 

ASBURY PARK, NJ — Leading architecture, planning, and interior design firm FCA presented an Arts and Culture Plan on August 21st to the city of Asbury Park’s Planning Board, which officially adopted it as a component of the city Master Plan. Developed in collaboration with residents, the local creative community, and the Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC), the plan provides a roadmap for augmenting residential quality of life, supporting creative enterprises,  and expanding the City’s cultural production ecosystem.

“As a life-long Asbury Park resident and professional urban designer, I was thrilled by the opportunity to uplift arts and culture within the community,” says Eric Galipo, AICP, LEED AP, Director of Planning and Urban Design at FCA. “Through detailed research and community outreach, the plan outlines initiatives that bolster access to creative activities for creators, residents, and visitors.” 

The plan aims to improve quality of life for residents by fostering a shared sense of community culture, including enhanced resources and programs for creative endeavors; aligning development and land use to support tourism and the city’s creative economy; leveraging the city’s brand to position it as both creative and inclusive; and transforming streets and public spaces to support placemaking and community cultural activity. 

Over the past 12 months, FCA conducted public surveys, interviews, focus groups, and public events to gather feedback from residents regarding their priorities and hopes for the city’s cultural ecosystem. This community engagement, along with extensive research and data gathering, informed the plan's recommendations that include actions by the City and its partners to: 

• Establish a funding stream for community arts, culture & recreation

• Expand city resources to manage public programs, community facilities and cultural affairs

• Engage cultural resource partners

• Center the city’s visual brand on creativity and community values

• Develop a Community Culture Center; and

• Support & connect cultural nodes and community gateways

Now that the Arts & Culture Plan has been adopted into the Master Plan, it will serve as a guiding document for the city and its partners to implement its recommendations. This serves to facilitate early actions like feasibility, marketing, and programming studies that build support for the plan’s more ambitious goals over time. FCA will continue to support the city, The Asbury Park Arts Council, and other partners through fundraising, advocacy, and implementation planning.  

For more information about FCA and the firm’s ongoing cultural planning and urban design work please visit www.fcarchitects.com.  

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About FCA

FCA is a full-service architectural and design firm. Employing a rigorously collaborative process between our clients and employees, we define, design and create resonant spaces uniquely suited to the needs of those who use them. Ultimately, we strive to enhance our clients’ lives. www.fcarchitects.com