Building an Inviting and Connected Core
Macon’s civic commons 2022 in pictures
Kick off your new year with inspiration from a dozen cities transforming civic assets to deliver more engaged, equitable and economically and environmentally resilient communities. Today, the tenth in our series of photo essays reflecting on the past year of progress features the civic commons work in Macon, Ga.
A team that walks and bikes together, stays together
The Macon Civic Commons team coalesced around the creation of a true connection between downtown and the Pleasant Hill neighborhood, one of the first historically Black neighborhoods to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout 2022, the team of partners engaged has grown and they gathered in April for a pedestrian and bike audit to explore and document the infrastructure on this route to better inform the plans and designs for this signature project. At the same time, the team is capitalizing on grant opportunities and has applied for more than $2 million in grants and thus far received more than $1 million to build The Pleasant Hill Connection, a bike/ped route along Walnut Street that will serve as a safe and welcoming link in Macon’s core.
Open Streets brings people together to imagine a different future
In September and October, Macon’s team hosted two Open Streets events in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood under the leadership of Bike Walk Macon. These daylong celebrations temporarily closed the streets to car traffic and invited Maconites to reimagine their streets as places for people, not just cars. Through this public program, the team was able to collect resident feedback, and engage the community around a vision for a better future. As part of this free program, Pleasant Hill’s cornerstone, LH Williams School worked with Civic Commons team members to create a mural designed by LH Williams teacher and local artist, Char Lockett.
Responding to a growing demand for a more ambitious public realm strategy
Community feedback collected through the Open Streets events changed the team’s original plan for the Pleasant Hill Connection from a simple bike/ped plan to a concept for a new “Main Street” for Pleasant Hill. Working with Pillyr Foundation, Bike Walk Macon and the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization the team is now piloting ideas — such as crosswalk improvements, intersections and pocket parks — that highlight assets and improve safety on Walnut Street.
Transforming Cotton Avenue Plaza
Beyond the Pleasant Hill Connection, Macon’s larger goal is to build a community where everyone feels invited to use public spaces. The new Cotton Avenue Plaza is being constructed as a signature pedestrian space in the urban core. The space, near Macon’s historic Black business district, was formerly a traffic island housing a Confederate monument. Currently under construction, it is being transformed with an expansion across Cotton Avenue, additional green space and seating area into a space welcoming to all that can add value to nearby local businesses.
Capturing national attention as a top destination for 2023
Macon has recently received multiple accolades from national travel and news organizations, as a destination for visitors in 2023. New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Frommer’s and Bloomberg honored Macon in their top places to go in 2023 lists, with Forbes also sharing a weekend getaway in Macon and Men’s Journal touting Amerson River Park as one of the 21 best urban parks and trails in the United States. On the heels of these honors, Macon Civic Commons is thrilled to be hosting the Learning Network for Civic Commons Studio #7 this spring.
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.
