The Delray Beach Cultural Loop is a 30 minute walk that connects the traditional cultural zones of a south Florida town: railroad track commerce, main street, city hall and the core residential areas of whites and blacks. In the modern south Florida town, the loop links these historic zones and museums, the art & entertainment area, the civic institutions, and the new economic extremes of apartments for urban professionals and the distressed houses of recent Caribbean & Latin American immigrants.

The Cultural Loop connects most of the cultural institutions of downtown Delray Beach. These groups show documents, historic structures and artworks of the historical and contemporary cultures of the Loop. Click on the Link to the Delray Beach Cultural Alliance page and visit the websites for the organizations.

The majority of development energy has been focused on the expansion of economic success along Atlantic Avenue. Yet two blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue, life and development is very quiet. Instead of the heavy traffic volumes and new taller buildings of Atlantic Avenue, these streets have the older energy of the city.

Except for Pineapple Grove Way, very little development or even thinking about development has occurred. These east-west streets are in danger of becoming the back wall to Atlantic Avenue. The existing Police Station literally has a blank wall to the neighborhood. Every new site plan turns to the center.

The Cultural Loop could become the informal, welcoming backdoor to civic institutions - a quiet path for the citizens and visitors of Delray Beach. The north-south streets and their buildings could be designed with pedestrian and bicycles connections to the loops possible pedestrian and bike focus.

The Cultural Loop could focus attention on the miserable physical condition of SW 2^nd Street and SW 5^th Avenue. It could enhance relationships with the Caribbean and Latin American communities. It could create another reason for the Swinton Avenue and West Settlers historic districts to work together.

But mainly, the Cultural Loop, in the tiniest of geographies, reminds everyone how close we all really are to each other. Through just one lunch hour, just one morning dog walk or just one evening stroll, anyone can discover a little bit of everyone who is sharing this place called Delray Beach. The Cultural Loop demonstrates that Delrays "new urbanism" is not an isolated oasis, but a real place with all attributes of life.

1. Acknowledgment of the Cultural Loop as a vehicle to bring many communities together and to focus on activities that will physically improve the area and edge streets.

2. Invention and implementation of low cost cultural projects that bring the institutions and people together.  
    A.  During fall 2002 and winter 2003, the Delray Beach Library in sponsoring monthly talks by the Directors of the Loop Organizations.
    B.  During the fall and winter, the Delray Beach Cultural Alliance is starting a public art project tentatively called "Have a Seat in Delray".  Artists will create artworks from the chairs of restuarants, stores and cultural institutions.

3.  Pineapple Grove Main Street has applied for a number of grants to bring Rick Lowe to Delray Beach in the Summer of 2003 to help the Loop organizations and residents invited the physical qualities of the Loop.   Click on the Rick Lowe page to learn more about his work.