A Year in Review
An Abundant Akron
Inspiration from the civic commons in 2023
Be inspired in the new year with reflections from cities across the country using their civic assets to build trust, connect people of all backgrounds and deliver more resilient communities. Today, the fifth in our series of photo essays reflecting on the past year of progress features the civic commons work in Akron.
Promoting environmental stewardship & community pride at Summit Lake
Akron Civic Commons prioritizes the stewardship of the areas along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Akron, including Summit Lake, a multi-use lakefront park. Summit Lake’s complicated history involves disinvestment and neglect of its natural assets: pollution of the lake, overgrown foliage filled with invasive species and litter buildup from runoff. This year, Akron Civic Commons core partners and funders coordinated efforts in the continued maintenance of the lake and its surrounding area through the Canal Cleanup and Summit Lake Youth Ambassador Programs managed by the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. With stewardship of the lake comes enjoyment of it as well, with the continuation of guided canoe trips each Tuesday afternoon during the Summit Lake Farmers Market summer season. These programs promote sustainable investment in stewarding Summit Lake Park, as well as a sense of pride in keeping the park and the community beautiful and safe for residents and visitors.
Amplifying resident voices for bettering their communities
Our guiding principle in Akron Civic Commons has been to build trust and authentic relationships with neighborhood residents and ask “how might we” create accessible, equitable and welcoming community spaces for individuals and families. Through community meetings and listening sessions, we have taken co-designed plans for equitable and accessible parks, trails and green spaces and turned them into a reality.
For Downtown resident Lori Pesci, the Akron Civic Commons’ focus on public spaces along the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail has meant increased engagement in and with her community, resulting in “being able to have input and an impact on where I live.” The Civic Commons framework enables residents to have a voice in changes to their community and provides them personal agency to have a role in that change.
Dedicated residents like Grace Hudson, Sandy Saulsberry, Sean Blake and Bronlynn Thurman not only participate in the planning and design decision-making, but have also been invited to share their experiences of the process and be recognized for their contributions to transformational neighborhood projects, including the Ohio & Erie Canal Summit Lake Trail ribbon-cutting and Lock 3 Park groundbreaking, across multiple platforms. These residents are also included in personal development opportunities including attending and speaking at Reimagining the Civic Commons Learning Journeys, Studios and national conferences.
Connecting communities through diverse downtown programming
In 2023, Akron Civic Commons began utilizing an Abundant Akron framework — developed by core team members and informed by our previous six years of Civic Commons work — to guide our future strategy and activities. The three pillars of Abundant Akron are Connectivity, Safety, and Love. Activating our public assets with diverse programs has a way of bringing people together, not only because of shared interests, but by sparking curiosity and promoting inclusivity.
“We believe that to build a more equitable Akron, our city needs more places that intentionally invite and connect people of all backgrounds, fostering much-needed empathy and understanding.”
— Kyle Kutuchief, Akron program director, Knight Foundation
Throughout the Akron Civic Commons neighborhood footprint, there was a wide variety of diverse and multicultural celebrations and summer programs planned by a variety of organizations, including but not limited to: The Sakura Festival, Juneteenth Festival, Lunar New Year, Akron Latin Festival, roller skating on Cascade Plaza and summer concerts at Ohio & Erie Canal Park.
“These photos represent great progress in providing programming in public spaces led by diverse committee members who worked to create these programs for audiences across all of the demographics that make up our community.”
—Dominic Caruso, communications director, Downtown Akron Partnership
Each of the multicultural festivals not only expanded in audience from previous years, but also increased diverse program offerings and activated new spaces around downtown.
Transformational investments in civic assets
Each Akron Civic Commons neighborhood is unique and diverse in assets and residents, but feel disconnected from one another as a whole. We emphasize the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail as the spine or connector of these neighborhoods across Akron and aim to elevate the public spaces surrounding it to better serve these communities and stimulate community and economic development. The team has built trusting relationships with residents of these neighborhoods to inform over $40 million of public/private investments directly into these communities. Once-in-a-generation investments like Lock 3 Park and Summit Lake Park have all been shaped by residents involved in decision making throughout the planning and construction phases.
It took several years to conceptualize an accessible, equitable and welcoming Lock 3 Park for downtown Akron, city residents and visitors. But the revitalized Lock 3 Park groundbreaking took place in April, with an anticipated completion in Fall 2024.
“This 365-day park will become more than a space that is used for festivals and concerts on the weekend. It will become a destination for residents and visitors alike to gather, to relax, to spend time and to experience downtown Akron.”
—Dan Rice, president and CEO, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition
Akron Civic Commons began work on the Summit Lake Vision Plan in 2018. The first phase involved the Ohio & Erie Canal Summit Lake Trail, which was completed and opened this fall, but began as an idea tested as the “Summit Lake Loop Trail” for two years prior, allowing residents to gain a sense of its impact. The Summit Lake North Shore Bridge connects the Towpath Trail to the Summit Lake Trail on the north side of Summit Lake, which was also completed this fall and provides a connection between the east and west neighborhoods that have historically felt disconnected. The second phase of the Summit Lake Vision Plan has been put into motion this year through contracting the site work to develop the Summit Lake North Shore as a thriving recreational space with kayak/canoe/bike share and rentals, artwork/exhibits, gathering shelters and a concession area. Everything compiled in the Summit Lake Vision Plan was co-curated and co-designed by residents through public forums.
Promoting wellness & recreation through accessible parks & trails
Activation of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and its adjacent park spaces in the three Akron Civic Commons neighborhoods has been a key priority over the last several years, and this year has built upon previous progress with the opening of the paved, multi-use Summit Lake Trail and continuation of guided canoe trips on Summit Lake. The new trail was used by the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition for its Towpath Freedom 5K in November, the first organized recreational event to take place using the trail, and just the beginning of the opportunities for group recreation activities around the lake. Assets and programs like these provide a free opportunity for community members to learn more about Summit Lake, learn a new skill, or simply spend time outdoors. Progress will continue in enhancing programs and amenities, particularly with the implementation of the Summit Lake North Shore project, which will include kayak/canoe/bike rentals and a boat launch area in the coming year.
Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and local partners.
