In 2016, a diverse network of city governments, nonprofits, community groups and national foundations committed to an ambitious goal: to demonstrate that public spaces have the power to connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust, and create more economically and environmentally resilient communities. The first six years of collaboration and innovation provide compelling evidence that the hypothesis of Reimagining the Civic Commons holds true. Our shared public spaces can indeed provide solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our time.
This report shares how the five Reimagining the Civic Commons demonstration cities — Akron, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis and Philadelphia — have revitalized local public spaces while breaking down silos and building trust among residents. And it reveals the powerful impacts that are changing how people understand the potential for urban public space.
