Building a Public Space Movement That Values Trust
On September 26, Akron residents and community leaders celebrated the ribbon cutting of the 2.75 mile multi-purpose Ohio & Erie Canalway Summit Lake Trail, an Akron Civic Commons project that circumnavigates Summit Lake and connects to the much longer Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail. Since 2016, the Akron Civic Commons team has been working alongside Summit Lake neighbors to improve public spaces and to create human-scale ways to reconnect the neighborhood to other parts of the city, and this ribbon-cutting was a high point for the team and residents.
Celebrating alongside neighbors, non-profit leaders and public sector staff was Summit County Council President Veronica Sims, a lifelong Akron resident and the first elected official in Summit County to serve on the Akron Public School Board, the Akron City Council and Summit County Council. Council President Sims offered these remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, emphasizing the importance in this work of trust and genuine relationships between local governments, community-based organizations and residents.
Many of you know that I was born and raised in this community — my parent’s home, my childhood home is just two blocks away. I take great pride not only in having had my foundation formed here but also to represent this neighborhood. In the past there had been promises made to this community with rarely few if any kept. Thoughts and ideas shared by residents were recorded only to be set upon a shelf or secretly cast into the sea of “this ain’t happening.” But something changed!
Since 2017, I have had the privilege to be a part of the resident-led Akron Civic Commons movement in the Summit Lake neighborhood. A movement that valued the currency of building trust before structures. A movement that acknowledged the past hurt and moved to do the work of mending, healing and building through meaningful conversations with neighborhood residents, understanding better the needs, wants and desires and the encouragement to dare to dream beyond what is routine and customary. It has been both exciting and rewarding to see envisioned concepts moved from thoughtful ideas to tangible realities.
From the swings and shaded seating along the lakefront (where you can often catch me taking in a juicy tomato from the farmers market on a lazy Tuesday evening) to the picnic pavilion where I’ve witnessed many momentous celebratory occasions: birthdays, graduations, baby showers, wedding receptions and much more. It is truly a blessing see so many individuals and families spending time together here at Summit Lake. Today, we add another reason to spend time at Summit Lake with this beautiful recreational trail for neighborhood residents and hikers and bicyclists on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
The Ohio & Erie Canal Summit Lake trail is a good example of the importance of intentionality and building trust and genuine relationships with neighborhood residents to ensure that their voices are valued and part of the process. It is my hope to see this approach duplicated throughout Akron, Summit County and beyond. For truly we are so much better and stronger as a community when all citizens are actively engaged and participating in resident-led movements like Akron Civic Commons.
I am honored to be a part of Akron Civic Commons and look forward to our future work together! Today is a GREAT DAY!
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.
