Cultural governance - A comparative study of three cultural districts

This article reviews the concept of cultural governance. Three cases of cul tural governance are examined including the Scientific and Cultural Facilit ies District (SCFD) in Colorado, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museu m District (MZPMD) in Missouri, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District ( ARAD) in Pennsylvania. This study shows that cultural governance has emerge d as an innovative and effective institutional and financial arrangement th at supports local and regional cultural activities. It also suggests that t he successful performance of cultural governance relies on strategic coalit ions between cultural stakeholders, healthy city-county partnerships, and s table funding mechanisms.