Building Trust for a Resilient Democracy
5 examples from public space efforts across the country
A recent OECD report sheds light on an important link: when people living in democracies trust their government more, their perceptions of the quality of their government are more positive — and democracy is more resilient.
Public space efforts can strengthen trust — and, as a result, democracy — by emphasizing civic engagement. Civic engagement happens when people of all backgrounds participate in public life and help shape their city’s future. A thriving culture of civic engagement is associated with a robust sense of community and higher levels of stewardship, advocacy and trust.
There are many ways to support civic engagement. Today we share five of them, providing inspiration for how cities can approach public space with an eye toward trust and a more resilient democracy.
Akron: A Safe Space for Healing
When Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, was killed by the Akron Police Department in June, the Akron community was shocked and dismayed. Protestors took to the streets of downtown Akron to express their grief and anger.
Jayland’s funeral was held at the Akron Civic Theatre, a 3,000-seat live performance theater downtown and a founding member of Akron Civic Commons. This memorial for Jayland’s life nurtured healing and togetherness in the wake of tragedy, and it also provided a critical first step toward rebuilding trust between Akron residents and city leadership. “There needed to be a place where Jayland’s family could honor their loved one. As a center for community gathering and community development, we played that role of providing that safe space,” said Howard Parr, Executive Director of the Akron Civic Theatre.
On July 13, about 1,000 people made their way to Main Street and the Akron Civic Theatre. The funeral was attended by Jayland’s family and loved ones, members of local and national activist groups and film director Spike Lee. Friends, family members and clergy shared memories of Jayland and spoke about police brutality and injustice.
The gathering evidenced a larger shift happening at the theater. Rather than seeing themselves as an arts organization, the team at Akron Civic Theatre now sees themselves as a community and economic development organization that uses arts to advance these goals. Through paradigm shifts like this, downtown Akron is becoming more than a destination. It’s a place where healing can happen and the seeds of trust can grow.
Philadelphia: Pivoting to Address Community Needs
In 2018, Fairmount Park Conservancy completed Parkside Edge, a small park within West Fairmount Park designed to welcome more people from the adjacent East Parkside neighborhood into the park. The 6-acre community space includes new seating and picnic areas, landscaping, softened park edges, new trees and green stormwater infrastructure.
The community quickly put the space to use for community events. But neighbors continued to face access challenges and struggled to feel a connection to and ownership of West Fairmount Park. South Concourse Drive, which neighbors have to cross to reach the park, is in the City’s High-Injury Network — the 12% of roads where 50% of Philadelphia’s traffic injuries and deaths occur. This made walking there treacherous.
The next phase of work planned in this part of West Fairmount Park had been a multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art youth play space. But many neighbors voiced skepticism, in particular pointing to the logistical challenges the play space could introduce or exacerbate, such as parking and traffic.
Based on community feedback, the Conservancy put the play space on hold and, in partnership with the Philadelphia Streets Department, prioritized additional pedestrian safety improvements at Parkside Edge. The Conservancy moved nimbly, completing improvements that slowed traffic and enabled safe pedestrian crossing deeper into the park.
Today, there’s a centralized, highly visible crosswalk and two pilot traffic circles on South Concourse Drive. Through efforts like these, the Conservancy and city partners are not only building a more inviting public realm and safer connections to the park, but also responding to residents in a way that fosters trust.
Minneapolis: Changing Perceptions Through Programming
This summer, Slow Roll MSP hosted more than a dozen weekly rides that united riders of every age, race, ethnicity and skill level in experiencing and changing their perceptions of neighborhoods across Minneapolis. The event series demonstrates that programming can help change perceptions and build trust.
Established in 2016 in the image of Detroit’s Slow Roll movement, Slow Roll MSP has a distinct theme and a set schedule each week. After a tune-up set to the tunes of a local DJ, riders embark on an easy-does-it ride (always less than 10 miles and under two hours) and finish with a free end-of-evening meal prepared by local vendors from local ingredients. The only “rules” are to meet someone new and to learn something new about the community the ride goes through.
All of this creates an experience that builds trust, changes minds and nurtures relationships. “A bike puts you in your community. It shows you the small, subtle changes,” said Anthony Taylor, founder of Slow Roll MSP. “In communities that are historically marginalized or under-resourced, their reputation precedes them — and it’s not real. In every one of these communities, there is love, there is peace, there is art, there is beauty, and a bike actually repositions you to see that.”
Chicago: Honoring Local History
Before it was shuttered and slated for demolition in 2002, St. Laurence Elementary School was a vibrant educational institution in its South Side community. Artist Theaster Gates and his Rebuild Foundation recognized the historical and cultural importance of the school in 2015 and rescued it from demolition. This year, Rebuild Foundation began transforming the 40,000-square-foot building into an arts and entrepreneurship incubator for local creatives.
On the heels of a groundbreaking ceremony, Rebuild Foundation invited over 40 proud St. Laurence alumni, many of whom still live in the neighborhood, to hear about the future plans for the site and tour the classrooms and spaces that had for years been unavailable to them.
Alumni and retired teachers reunited on the school’s campus on a beautiful summer afternoon in July. The intergenerational cohort shared memorabilia from their time at the school, including images, flags, uniforms and school t-shirts. Joy, laughter, tears and excitement filled the school. Stories took center stage, including some about the school’s beloved lunch lady, who still lives next door. The building looked quite different after years of vacancy and decay, but it still had the classrooms and auditoriums that hosted many early memories.
The visit uncovered the deep personal meaning this building holds for so many Greater Grand Crossing community members. And it demonstrated that placemaking and trust can be rooted in placekeeping. By preserving the histories and memories of this place, Rebuild Foundation is contributing to a conservation of community that adds depth and meaning to its physical conservation efforts.
Memphis: An Invitation for Co-creation
In Memphis, the Heights Community Development Corporation (HCDC) is centered in community, understands residents’ priorities and helps bring improvements to life.
HCDC recently partnered with community members to improve the safety, appearance and connectivity of local streetscapes near Treadwell Elementary School. With support from a $25,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the organization used art, planters and traffic markers to slow traffic and beautify streets in an area where the safety of students walking has been an ongoing community priority.
For this project, local artist Anthony Lee, HCDC staff and Treadwell Elementary art students brainstormed artistic patterns to incorporate into the project. Then volunteers, HCDC staff and Anthony Lee installed the designs over a weekend. The simple, effective installations created beautified spaces for walking and addressed the community’s desire to improve the safety and connectivity for pedestrians around the school.
Two other projects HCDC co-created with the community are the nature playground next to Treadwell School and the Heights Line a block away. After years of work from supporters, students now have a unique new playground that they helped design. HCDC partnered with a local urban design team made up of planners/landscape architects, Roger Ekstrom and Michelle Ye, and architect Anthony DiNolfo. The team carrying out the SEED CYCLE initiative, whose mission is to help the next generation take greater ownership of their communities through art, urban design, and planning, hosted sessions with Treadwell students to co-design the playground. With this student-centered design and in-kind assistance from local engineers, HCDC mobilized the community to raise funds and build the playground which remains a well-used and prized neighborhood amenity.
And on a more ambitious scale, the Heights Line, a 1.75-mile multi-use path and linear park, started as a pop-up project. Local residents began work in 2017 by reclaiming excess road capacity and building a temporary demonstration of the new public space. Now, the project has been prioritized and funded, with the City’s support, for permanent installation.
By inviting neighbors to participate in the work in a meaningful way, the HCDC helped nurture stronger relationships, co-creation — and trust.
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.
