In Cincinnati, a trail toward equity

Cyclists take to the newly daylit Lick Run Greenway, which will one day connect to the CROWN trail network. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

We are delighted to welcome Cincinnati, Ohio, to the Reimagining the Civic Commons network. The Cincinnati team will work to reconnect disinvested neighborhoods and the people who live in them to downtown and one another through investments in greenspace, programming and active transportation.

By expanding the citywide CROWN loop trail system and investing in equitable transportation infrastructure, the team seeks to restore connectivity for Black communities to the rest of the city, helping to reverse harmful trends that decimated thriving neighborhoods and have contributed to economic and health disparities.

The focus of the work is in a group of neighborhoods that were cut off from downtown by highway construction in the 1960s. Before the construction of I-75 and I-74, the neighborhoods just west of downtown and Mill Creek consisted of three- and four-story Italianate row houses along residential streets home to thriving Black communities. But when the highway came through, much of the housing was demolished and replaced with expanded industry and rail infrastructure. The decision to destroy Black neighborhoods to make way for a highway was typical of the systemically racist public planning processes nationwide at the time.

The I-75 highway and Queensgate railyard are two of the physical barriers between Cincinnati’s downtown and the West Side. Additionally, the Mill Creek is channelized, further restricting the waterway to surrounding communities. The reconstruction of the pictured Western Hills Viaduct is one opportunity to reconnect. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

The intervening decades added insult to injury with industrial contamination, increasing levels of vacancy and unsafe roads where a high number of serious injuries and deaths occur. The challenging topography of the area, with steep hills descending into a valley, increases the sense of being cut off. And, until recently, the Mill Creek would overrun with sewage after heavy rains because the sewage and stormwater systems were combined.

Cincinnati is one of many cities recognizing the negative impacts of the transportation decisions of the past and finding ways to restore safety and connectivity. This idea has gained national importance through programs like the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Program.

Locally, the work has already begun. Lick Run was recently daylit and now runs through a beautiful greenway home to diverse, native flora and fauna that manages stormwater and alleviates sewage overflows. Efforts are underway to clean up Mill Creek, once dubbed one of the most endangered rivers in America, with the goal of reconnecting communities to the water and bringing back activities like boating and fishing. On 8th Street in Lower Price Hill, a RAISE grant is supporting new bike lanes, traffic calming measures and a safer connection to the future CROWN trail and downtown. And a new mayor, Aftab Pureval, and a city council eager to do things differently are prioritizing racial equity and following through with impactful investments, including pursuing brownfield remediation grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

While the Mill Creek has made significant ecological gains, as seen from Mill Creek Road, there are limited opportunities for safe recreation and access. Images courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

Reconnecting communities to nature and one another

The CROWN trail network provides another opportunity to reconnect neighborhoods and heal the wounds of the past. The trail is well on its way to being finished, with 19 of 34 planned miles open to the public and a $10 million capital campaign recently completed. The popular trail meanders through forests and along rivers, inviting visitors to explore parks, cultural amenities and neighborhoods — but most of the completed segments run through wealthier, whiter neighborhoods on Cincinnati’s east side. Completing the CROWN on the west side will provide the same opportunities to even more communities, particularly those which have been isolated for decades.

Map of the CROWN trail network, showing existing and planned trails. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

The section of trail on the west side is known as the Mill Creek Greenway. Parts of it are already built, though maintenance can be challenging, in part because coordination is required among multiple organizations. For the rest, the Cincinnati team plans to transform a derelict corridor into a nature-rich multi-use path along Mill Creek.

“We want to extend that world-class experience, regardless of zip code, race, age or ability level,” said Wade Johnston of Tri-State Trails, the organization leading the effort to complete the CROWN and a co-convener of Reimagining the Civic Commons in Cincinnati. “If you live in Cincinnati, you should be able to access this amenity close to home and feel safe and welcome.”

The team will emphasize investments and improvements anchored in the Reimagining the Civic Commons outcomes of civic engagement, socioeconomic mixing, environmental sustainability and value creation. The new trail will connect to an evolving transportation ecosystem that has the potential to support environmental sustainability and equity while also saving lives. A high percentage of people living near Mill Creek do not own cars, but their neighborhoods lack safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. “Completing the CROWN” is one of the priority actions in the City’s Green Cincinnati Plan, with pedestrian safety identified by Mill Creek Valley residents as a key area for improvement. All of this makes mobility, connectivity and safe options for active transportation critical needs.

Along the existing Mill Creek Greenway at Salway Park, Doug McClintock, executive director of Cincinnati Red Bike, demonstrates operating their e-bikes. Cincinnati Red Bike recently expanded to the West Side’s Lower Price Hill. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

The Cincinnati team will work to transform unsafe roads near the greenway into complete streets that support safe access to the trail and improve safety. At the same time, lighting on the trail and consistent maintenance are priorities for the team. In addition to active transportation opportunities, the trail will also foster a connection with nature along Mill Creek itself. Restoration work will allow people to fish, see wildlife and get out on the water.

Working across silos, fostering community

Many organizations and government agencies are involved in developing the emerging trail network in Cincinnati. On the government side, this includes the City’s Department of Transportation and Engineering, Park Board and Recreation Commission and the county’s park district and sewer district. Community organizations like the Mill Creek Alliance and Groundwork Ohio River Valley, plus multiple community development corporations and schools, will also play key roles.

The Tri-State Trails team and collaborators hosted a pop up bike shop at the Lick Run Greenway, providing free tune-ups and trail maps. Images courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

Cincinnati will prioritize bringing a diverse set of partners together to work on related issues as a cohesive team. By building relationships across organizations and implementing shared agreements, such as collaborative maintenance agreements, Cincinnati will shift toward operating civic assets as a portfolio instead of as individual, separate places.

To spur civic engagement, the team intends to focus some of its early outreach at three finished segments of the Mill Creek Greenway where there’s already a green space or park. They will collect input from park visitors and test ideas around programming and public art. By sharing the potential benefits, these activities aim to cultivate interest in completing and connecting the trail. In addition, the team plans to bring community members to visit the CROWN trail where it’s already finished, helping them envision what’s possible in their neighborhood and creating a shared vision for a more connected public realm.

“The work ahead is to build a coalition of residents, partner organizations and local government champions who can help us complete this trail network,” Johnston said. “We want to make sure the trail is a welcoming, safe space for the local community and a reflection of what they want to see.”

Tri-State Trails plans to host continued opportunities for people to experience the promise and challenges to creating the trail, as well as share in the vision of the completion of the Mill Creek Greenway.

Toward equitable redevelopment

The Cincinnati team is hopeful that the trail itself and the collaborative, outcomes-oriented process to create it will support equitable redevelopment in the neighborhoods along the Mill Creek Greenway. Safer streets, access to downtown and connections to nature can create value for residents while also attracting investment. The team plans to be intentional about this, working with residents on strategies that create real, local value and minimize the risk of displacement. Johnston and the team are looking to Detroit for inspiration, including on how to support homeownership for Black and brown families, as the Detroit team is doing through its Civic Commons work.

“We think the trail will have a ripple effect,” Johnston said. “It will encourage businesses, developers and the Port Authority to clean up brownfields and bring in redevelopment. There’s a big opportunity for repurposing that land into affordable housing, which is a desperate need in Cincinnati like around the country.”

As Cincinnati moves ahead, we look forward to sharing their progress and their learnings, and to supporting their vision for equitable redevelopment in the neighborhoods along Mill Creek.

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. In addition, Cincinnati’s participation is supported by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation.