Our innovative model connects people of all backgrounds, cultivates trust and creates more resilient communities in a time when loneliness, distrust, climate impacts and economic segregation are on the rise.

In Detroit’s Fitzgerald neighborhood, residents' trust in others nearly tripled – from 13% to 34% – in just six years

In Memphis in 2023, over 5,000 people from 37 local zip codes joined River Garden’s free, outdoor yoga classes.

A Groundbreaking Model for Public Space

We believe that when cities change how they design, manage and program their public spaces, they can change much more than the spaces themselves—they can nurture critical social impacts that improve neighborhoods and lives.

Our innovative way of working emphasizes:

A portfolio approach

Manage public spaces as a connected set of civic assets, not individually. This means working across sectors, agencies and organizations to reimagine each community’s network of shared spaces.

An outcomes orientation

Four key outcomes—civic engagement, socioeconomic mixing, environmental sustainability and value creation—serve as a North Star for the work.

A commitment to collaboration

Practitioners, policymakers, funders, advocates and residents share knowledge and support one another to transform how cities and communities approach public space.

Investing with Intention: Our Four Outcomes

We believe in the power of public spaces to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits. These four outcomes guide our approach:

Civic Engagement

Bring people of all backgrounds into public life as stewards and advocates, shaping their city’s future.

Socioeconomic Mixing

Create places where everyone belongs and that generate opportunities for shared experiences among people of all incomes and backgrounds.

Environmental Sustainability

Connect people to nature, incorporate green infrastructure and increase walking, biking and transit accessibility.

Value Creation

Encourage equitable development in neighborhoods so they become better places to thrive.

Measure What Matters

Our practical measurement system allows you to demonstrate the multifaceted value of investments in public space. By collecting data before projects begin and as they proceed, cities are showing that public spaces can deliver powerful benefits to communities—and making a strong case for additional investment.

These measurement tools are available for download for anyone who wants to understand the impacts of their work.

Download Tools

Nine Years of Transformation

What started as a grant program has become an innovative model for cities to design, manage and program their public spaces. The initiative was piloted in Philadelphia in 2015 and expanded to four additional cities in 2016. Today, 10 cities are actively demonstrating the Reimagining the Civic Commons model, and our insights and resources are available to anyone who wants to create communitywide impact by transforming public spaces.

Learn About the Cities