From the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority:
Participating in Reimagining the Civic Commons offers an opportunity for Macon
to develop innovative approaches to public assets as we emerge from the
pandemic
May 27, 2020 — Macon has joined a national initiative to advance
ambitious social, economic and environmental goals through public spaces.
Reimagining the Civic Commons has invited Macon to participate as part of its
efforts to bring the benefits of strategic investments in parks, libraries, trails and
community centers to more cities.
Macon will join leading edge public space practitioners, policymakers, advocates
and residents from around the country advancing new and innovative ways of
designing, operating and measuring public spaces nationwide. The new cities
joining Reimagining the Civic Commons are Lexington, Macon, Miami,
Minneapolis and San José; they join five teams from Akron, Chicago, Detroit,
Memphis and Philadelphia. For the next three years, these 10 cities will work to
transform civic assets to connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust and
create more resilient communities.
Macon leaders note the important role that public spaces have played during the
COVID-19 pandemic, and that joining Reimagining the Civic Commons will help
them develop strategies to rebuild social capital and foster more equitable and
healthy neighborhoods.
“We are hardwired as humans to be happier with more social interaction. When
we were in grammar school we instinctively sought out the playground to reenergize
our spirits during our work-day,” Chris Sheridan, Chair of the Macon
Bibb County Urban Development Authority said. “We can bring the experience of
the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail to the urban core by re-imagining our streets and
sidewalks as a playground that enriches our souls. We are not isolated in our
cars speeding on the same routes from home, to work, to shopping or the same
group of friends. Let us re-imagine a place where we want to go just to see who
we might meet.”
Macon’s project will focus on expanding the Ocmulgee Trail network from just a
recreation experience along the river into an equitable bike and pedestrian trail
network that connects core neighborhoods to downtown. The expanded network
will include downtown parks and connections to Pleasant Hill and East Macon.
The team will consist of public and private partners representing the local
government, philanthropy, non-profits agencies, and local businesses. Alex
Morrison of the Macon-Bibb UDA and Robert Walker of the Macon-Bibb County
Recreation Department have agreed to co-chair the effort.
Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaborative effort of national foundations
— including The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,
The Kresge Foundation and William Penn Foundation — and local partners
working to transform public spaces in ways that advance engagement, equity,
environmental sustainability and economic development.
“Months of quarantine has brought home to all of us just how much we need
great public spaces.” said Sam Gill, Knight’s senior vice president and chief
program officer. “These spaces will be key to supporting socially connected,
healthy communities as we emerge from this pandemic.”
Launched in 2016, the original Reimagining the Civic Commons cities are
already demonstrating the wide-ranging, beneficial impacts of innovative public
space investments, design and operations:
● In Akron, a formerly neglected lake in one of the city’s hardest hit
neighborhoods has become a gathering place to experience nature.
Summit Lake is now a point of pride for the community, with 94 percent of
visitors believe the previously isolated neighborhood now has a bright
future.
● Memphis has reimagined a set of all but abandoned spaces along the
Mississippi River into an active, revitalized waterfront. Following the
removal of Confederate monuments, the renamed and revitalized Fourth
Bluff Park and River Garden now welcome a diversity of Memphians every
day. Average visitorship to River Garden has nearly doubled and visitors
come from more than 40 zip codes.
To learn more about Reimagining the Civic Commons and explore plans for the
initiative across all 10 cities, please visit: www.CivicCommons.us.
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About The JPB Foundation
The mission of The JPB Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the United
States through transformational initiatives that promote the health of our
communities by creating opportunities for those in poverty, promoting pioneering
medical research, and enriching and sustaining our environment. For more, visit
jpbfoundation.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in
journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and
James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and
engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.
For more, visit kf.org.
About The Kresge Foundation
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress.
Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to
opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle
structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant,
loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually
to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org
About William Penn Foundation
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is
dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region
through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from lowincome
families, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that
enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. The
Foundation’s assets exceed $2.5 billion. For more, visit
williampennfoundation.org.
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