Neighborhood disparities in access to street arts festivals: Evidence from Chicago

This study explores the neighborhood disparities in access to street arts festivals (SAFs) based on a case study of Chicago. The city's street closure permit database is used to identify the locations of SAFs and examine how access to SAFs is associated with the characteristics of neighborhoods. The results show that SAFs are highly spatially concentrated and are not equally accessible from different types of neighborhoods. Specifically, access to SAFs within walking distance declines significantly as the proportions of Black, Hispanic, and elderly residents increase. A comparative analysis finds that SAFs are even less accessible than museums/art galleries from Black or Hispanic neighborhoods and areas with a higher share of elderly residents. However, neighborhood income is not a significant predictor of SAF accessibility. This study's findings have important implications for policymakers because they suggest that SAFs further disadvantage certain types of historically underserved neighborhoods, especially Black neighborhoods, regarding arts accessibility.