Revitalizing a Community, with Residents in the Lead

In Macon, Georgia, the popular Ocmulgee Heritage Trail network draws people from across the city and beyond to walk, bike and enjoy the city’s riverfront, neighborhoods and amenities. But as the trail network has grown, it has become clear that Pleasant Hill – a historically Black neighborhood whose commercial core was destroyed by the construction of I-75 several decades ago – needs extra attention. A collaboration of local government, non-profits, foundations and community members is working to enhance the public realm in Pleasant Hill, improve the neighborhood’s connections to downtown and the trail network, and realize resident-envisioned programming. With residents in the lead, Macon is becoming a model for revitalizing a community damaged by harmful policies of the past.