Toronto is spending more on arts in difficult economic times

In order for DC to attract people to move here and to stay here beyond a job or school, we must provide a culturally rich environment. People are not drawn to live in a place because it has cool monuments and wonky think tanks. What we want are things that feed the imagination and that stimulate creativity, oh like I don't know, maybe a vibrant art scene and opportunities to connect with each other in creative spaces.

Toronto knows this and has actually increased the arts spending portion of the city's budget recently according to this report.

"People who are highly mobile and can work anywhere in the world, they look for a city that has certain attributes," Davies said. "They want a rich cultural life, they want a city with buzz, they want a city with a sense of connections, and those are all the things the arts give to a city.

"The cities that became internationally renowned – and that translates in all kinds of economic advantage – are cities that have a vibrant culture and that culture is known around the world."

Good.