Building a Legacy of Resilience: Arts and Culture Recommendations from the ULI Panel

Building a Legacy of Resilience: Arts and Culture Recommendations from the ULI Panel

In the wake of Tropical Storm Helene’s devastation, Asheville is facing a rare opportunity to not just recover, but to rebuild stronger, more equitably, and more creatively. The Urban Land Institute (ULI), invited by the City of Asheville, spent a week in July 2025 engaging local stakeholders and reviewing redevelopment plans to provide a comprehensive vision for resilience and long-term recovery. Among the many recommendations offered, ULI’s panel underscored the critical role that arts, culture, and legacy neighborhoods must play in shaping Asheville’s future.

A Moment of Decision

ULI framed the aftermath of Helene as a defining moment: Will Asheville’s legacy be one of trauma—or transformation? With more than $225 million in CDBG-DR funding, $80 million in local bonds, FEMA resources, and potential hazard mitigation funds, Asheville has a once-in-a-generation chance to realign its growth with community values. The arts and creative industries are central to that vision.

Core Recommendations for Arts & Culture

1. Arts Are Too Valuable to Return to Harm’s Way

ULI emphasized that Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD) must be reimagined for both safety and sustainability. Artists initially settled in the RAD when rents were low, but rising costs and flood risk now jeopardize the district’s viability. Panelists recommended:

Relocation and reinvention of the creative hub through a project supported by CDBG-DR funding. Temporarily referred to as “RAD 2.0,” the proposed hub would be located inside or outside of the current district and offer similar opportunities for artistic collaboration in a safer environment.
Securing a new creative facility with affordable rents and resilient infrastructure.
Using public programming and arts installations to maintain Asheville’s cultural vibrancy while ensuring physical safety from future disasters.

2. Invest in a Creative Economy Incubator

With $17 million allocated for Small Business Support through CDBG-DR, the panel urged Asheville to:

Launch a creative industries incubator to support local artists, musicians, makers, and entrepreneurs. This builds on successful regional models, including the Upscaling Creative Manufacturing initiative—a collaborative effort led by Land of Sky Regional Council, ArtsAVL, Mountain BizWorks’ Craft Your Commerce program, and the Center for Craft, which offers entrepreneurial training, shared tools, and market access to craft-based businesses.
Partner with educational institutions and nonprofits to offer business development services.
Offer technical assistance and marketing support to increase economic mobility within the arts sector.
Establish a studio subsidy program to help artists and creative businesses secure affordable workspace. The panel recommended dedicating a portion of the City’s Public Art Fund—generated through Asheville’s 1% for Public Art policy—to subsidize studio space for local artists, ensuring equitable access to creative infrastructure as redevelopment progresses.

This approach would strengthen Asheville’s identity as a national leader in place-based creative enterprise while increasing career opportunities for low-to-moderate-income (LMI) residents.

3. Redesign the Riverfront as Civic & Economic Space

The panel proposed turning Asheville’s riverfront—both the French Broad and Swannanoa corridors—into an engine for inclusive cultural and economic activity. Specific suggestions included:

Using the arts as a catalyst for placemaking along greenways and flood-resilient parks.
Hosting seasonal events and rotating art installations that reflect local identity and attract both residents and visitors.
Prioritizing civic design that fosters interaction between locals and tourists, taking inspiration from Granville Island (Vancouver) and Chattanooga’s waterfront redevelopment.

4. Celebrate and Support Legacy Neighborhoods

Asheville’s historically Black neighborhoods—including Southside, The Block, Burton Street, and Pisgah View—were emphasized as critical to an equitable recovery. ULI encouraged:

Expanding the Black Cultural Heritage Trail into the riverfront to create cultural continuity between downtown and historic neighborhoods.
Advancing Black homeownership and offering housing choices that reflect neighborhood identity.
Supporting Black-owned businesses and cultural anchors through direct investment and visibility.
Creating community hubs—flexible spaces for arts, wellness, workforce training, and resilience programming, modeled after successful efforts in Kinston, NC and Englewood, Chicago.

5. Align Arts and Tourism through Destination Stewardship

Rather than treating tourism as an external force, ULI recommended aligning it with Asheville’s authentic cultural identity:

Incorporate resident input into tourism planning and marketing.
Use the arts to create “shared spaces” where civic life and tourism intersect meaningfully.
Reinforce the value of authenticity in Asheville’s brand—resisting over-commercialization while promoting economic vitality.

A Vision Rooted in Resilience

At the heart of ULI’s recommendations is a shift toward integrated planning—where parks, water, housing, equity, and the arts are all part of a resilient, inclusive system. Their report asks Asheville to embrace:

One Water principles to manage floods and protect community spaces.
Legacy parks that enhance ecological health and serve as cultural gathering places.
Civic collaboration, where artists, residents, nonprofits, and government unite around shared goals.

As the City of Asheville prepares its long-term recovery plan in partnership with Buncombe County, ULI’s recommendations offer a blueprint for how arts and culture can lead the way—not just in healing, but in defining a more just and inspiring future.

Key Takeaway:

This is Asheville’s moment to move beyond rebuilding what was lost—to build something lasting, inclusive, and uniquely Asheville. Arts and culture are not side projects in this vision; they are its foundation.

The full presentation and slides are available at publicinput.com/uli_avl

What’s Next: The Arts Recovery Plan
Led by ArtsAVL, Buncombe County’s first-ever Arts Recovery Plan is now underway. Informed by stakeholder input and expert recommendations—including those from the Urban Land Institute—the plan will guide long-term investments in creative infrastructure, equity, and resilience. Final recommendations are expected in mid-2026. Learn more here.