During the final week of September, partners and participants of the national initiative, Reimagining the Civic Commons (RCC), flocked to Akron, Ohio to learn about the city’s efforts to revitalize its public spaces. Made possible through the support of philanthropic foundations such as Knight, JPB, Kresge, Rockefeller, and additional local funders, RCC is a large-scale project aimed at bridging communities by connecting shared spaces. Five cities—Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, and Akron—were granted funding for the project following a lengthy application process in which they demonstrated commitment through creative “prototyping” within key areas.
In Akron, this process began in the fall of 2016, and since has seen its three designated public assets brought to life through a series of grants, programming, and community engagement. Civic gateway (downtown), Park East, and Summit Lake are the areas of focus in Akron, and each is connected along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Acting as “convener” of the project within the city, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition has assembled a team of 30 partners to implement the Civic Commons’ goals. From downtown offices and city officials to opportunity centers and local activists, the Akron Civic Commons (ACC) has incorporated the community as a whole.
As part of a larger Civic Commons Learning Network, Akron and the other participating cities each host “Learning Studios,” which invite members of the different national teams to visit a particular city and explore successes and failures in each. ACC held its Learning Studio from September 27-September 29, featuring an array of events, tours, workshops, and breakout sessions on topics such as “Value Creation” and “Socioeconomic Mixing.” Speaking engagements prior to each session featured presenters discussing everything from local workforce development, to overcoming stigma, to implementing narrative storytelling at the national and homegrown levels.
One of the most memorable events held during the Akron Studio was a 200-plate community meal on Summit Lake. Community members and Civic Commons Learning Network partners sat together at a 200-foot long table overlooking Akron’s Summit Lake, bringing the event full-circle. Co-hosted by the League of Creative Interventionists, this event featured locally-grown food, live music, tours of art initiatives taking place at the lake, and the opportunity to thank the community for its support of ACC initiatives in the area. As one of the key public assets for the project, Summit Lake has seen a great deal of invigoration over the course of the project, with a $320,000 investment grant implemented through nature programs, bench and picnic areas, kayaking, and other outreach activities. During the community meal, residents and Learning Network members were able to enjoy these spaces with one another and alongside one of Akron’s hidden treasures.
Photos courtesy of Akron Civic Commons.
Learn more by visiting the Akron Civic Commons’ Facebook page or their newly launched website.