Former Pittsburgh mayor turned senior research fellow with the Urban Land Institute Tom Murphy
spoke in Shreveport, LA April 28th about it's goal of "transforming the region's identity by building stronger partnerships among arts organizations, elected officials and private investors. He led Pittsburgh between 1994 and 2005. 'If we did it in a rundown, rustbelt city, you can do it here'"
"Murphy spoke about how Pittsburgh lost 150,000 jobs between 1978 and 1985, after which community leaders — elected officials, private investors and arts organizations — decided to establish, build and, in part, publicly fund a Cultural Trust district dedicated to the arts.
In 1985, he said, the 10-block area has 22 massage parlors and X-rated theaters. Today, it's home to 15 "legitimate" performance venues — including the symphony, ballet and theaters." (Source)