What is “public art”?

Public art is commissioned to give a place its own distinctive identity, and positively improve local character.

Why are we spending money on public art?

Cambridge City Council has a policy that a percentage of the budget for all new developments must be spent on public art to enhance community spaces and to make them more attractive. Cambridgeshire County Council supported this policy and set the public art as a planning condition.

Good quality, attractive public spaces also have a major role to play in successful urban and rural design.

What are the benefits of public art?

Public art can benefit the local community by:

• humanising environments;
• contributing to local distinctiveness;
• increasing the use of open spaces, and
• introducing innovation and experimentation into the process of how we develop public spaces.

What will the art look like?

The public art for the new road will be determined by the creativity of the artist, along with input from the local community and local community representatives.

How much will the art cost?

£50,000 has been allocated in the budget for the road to spend on public art.

How can I get involved?

Any public art project generally involves a wide range of individuals, organisations and interests in its conception, creation and delivery.

We are currently in the very early stages of design - exactly what the public art will be or look like depends very much on the creative process used by the artist, along with input from the local community and local community representatives.