Carlsbad Arts and Cultural District Economic Development Plan

SITES worked with the City of Carlsbad to plan and design the Pearl of the Pecos Arts and Cultural District, which encompasses the city’s downtown core. The plan used an asset-based approach that built upon strong local institutions, successful small businesses, and a network of active arts organizations to strengthen Carlsbad’s creative economy.

Arts and cultural districts recognize that a vibrant creative economy includes a broad range of artistic and cultural pursuits. Through an extensive public engagement process that included individual interviews, public workshops, and collaboration with a steering committee, SITES helped establish a shared vision and economic transformation strategy for the district.

The vision defined the Pearl of the Pecos as a diverse and thriving center for arts and culture, supported by a strategy to promote and expand creative opportunities across the community. Three central themes guided the plan: creative placemaking, facility programming and activation, and optimization of community assets.

The plan outlined specific actions to help achieve this transformation and served as the final step in securing the district’s official certification as a New Mexico Arts and Cultural District.