How Nature Postcards are Changing Perceptions of an Urban Lake
Interesting and innovative public space practices
Akron Civic Commons’ work to celebrate nature at Summit Lake is an exercise in promoting an actual glacial lake and an effort to better engage people living in the nearby neighborhood named for that lake. As in so many disinvested, majority Black neighborhoods, Summit Lake was for decades neglected and its residents were isolated, which led to an understandable distrust of civic leaders and civic process — and fed people’s beliefs that spaces around the lake itself were dangerous.
A yearslong, intentional effort by the Akron team employed deep listening, authentic relationships, and resident input on public space design to reduce the lake’s stigma and earn more resident trust. The team continues to innovate to bring more people into the fold.
The Practice: Summit Lake Postcard Project
In the fall of 2022, after Akron Civic Commons team member Roger Riddle witnessed photographers working to capture images at a birding event and then attended a nature photography exhibition, he realized that showcasing nature at Summit Lake was an excellent opportunity to connect more people to their work.
As a result, Roger and his team (which included Akron Knight Foundation Director Kyle Kutuchief) decided to feature the work of local nature photographers on a series of high-quality, oversized art postcards. Working with a local graphic designer, local printers and a local mail house, the team sent the postcards — which promoted upcoming events in or near Summit Lake — to nearby residents.
There was no better way to combat a longtime, stigmatized reputation of the lake as a polluted and unsafe place than showcasing the wonderful plants, animals and birds for which Summit Lake is home, Riddle says. “People thought (Summit Lake) was dangerous, or dirty. Yet that way of thinking about the lake is based on a past reality. There’s no better way to show that than sending someone beautiful pictures on a postcard with plants and wildlife enjoying the area.”
Lessons Learned
- Keep it local. Working with local folks to produce the postcards created more buzz and more support. “We were able to work with two great local photographers who captured the area in exactly the way we wanted to showcase it and the graphic designer that gave it that classic travel postcard feel,” says Riddle. “Local people love their local areas and will make your project look great. Then do the printing and mailing with local vendors. Let all of them be the first to say how great it is!”
- Test and refine. “Our first postcard had a little too much information on the back, so we worked with the graphic designer to simplify it and make it more readable,” Riddle says. “Later, we realized the radius we used for the mailings was not centered to reach the majority of people living closest to Summit Lake. We went back to the mail house and worked with them to find a new center for the radius. The constant refining keeps making the postcards better.”
- Create a lasting impression. The beauty of an analog piece is that it appeals to new audiences, and it can last longer than digital promotions. “There are plenty of people who are online and find out what’s going on that way, and there are also people who want to hold something in their hands and read it. We hoped people might stick the postcard on their refrigerator. With upcoming events on the back, the postcard becomes a reminder for residents of what’s happening right there in their neighborhood, and it can also help them become more engaged,” Riddle says.
The Upshot
Riddle thinks the attention to detail and focus on a well-designed, beautiful, long-lasting piece are key to the project’s success. “By having something that someone keeps, we can increase the likelihood that residents will find out what is happening around their neighborhood. If they engage with the events listed on the postcard, we hope that it is a step towards building trust with the organizations offering these things to do,” Riddle said. “I really feel these postcards are helping to change the perception of Summit Lake, starting with the people who live closest to it.”
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.
