Rediscovering the Wealth of Places

In the twenty-first century, a growing number of municipalities across Canada have turned to municipal cultural planning as a powerful tool to support economic development and community building.

Rediscovering the Wealth of Places (2010) is a practical introduction to core planning concepts and tools, including a methodology for cultural mapping and identifying a wide range of local cultural assets.

In his review of the book, Colin Mercer—a leading thought leader and practitioner in the cultural planning field—wrote:

“Australia led the way in integrated and strategic cultural planning from the 1990s, a baton which is now admirably being taken up by Canada.

My colleague Greg Baeker has played an important leadership role in this development as both an advocate and practitioner.

This book makes a major contribution to systematizing a body of professional knowledge and practice in municipal cultural planning.”

Additional Reviews

The place of culture in planning is one of the key challenges of cities. Cultural groups and agencies have a special responsibility in contributing to urban progress bringing with them critical values intrinsic to culture, values such as creativity, critical knowledge, sense of place, beauty, memory and diversity.

In Rediscovering the Wealth of Places, Greg Baeker offers an exceptional methodology for cultural mapping and cultural planning. Agenda 21 for culture strongly recommends the book to anyone interested in strengthening the place of culture in planning. Culture must be part of all serious conversations about how urban progress is elaborated and implemented.

Jordi Pascual of Agenda 21 for Culture

Greg Baeker’s Rediscovering the Wealth of Places is possibly the most powerful tool available to civic leaders at a time when the financial crisis is forcing cities to adopt smarter forms of urban governance. We knew that cultural planning had the potential to deliver improved opportunities for communities and better competitiveness for cities, but now we have it in black and white. Baeker leads the way!

Baeker’s handbook is what cultural planners have been waiting for. A practical and intelligently written ‘how to’ guide for embedding local cultural resources in economic, social and urban development plans. The featured examples of implementation provide conclusive proof that municipal cultural mapping processes are often the key to effective policies for building creative advantage. Invaluable!

Lia Ghilardi, Founder and Director of Noema Research and Planning

I read the book, Rediscovering the Wealth of Places: A Municipal Cultural Planning Handbook for Canadian Communities with great pleasure. It is a terrific contribution, bringing municipal cultural planning’s background, intentions, tools, and practitioners’ experiences together in one place. The book would fit excellently into graduate and senior undergraduate planning courses that deal with this relatively new field of municipal cultural planning. The bonus is your focus on Canadian practice, which you show is well underway. Congratulations!