Public Space as a Catalyst for Equity and Connection

Cincinnati’s civic commons 2022 in pictures

Tri-State Trails hosted a pop-up bike shop at Lick Run Greenway, offering free repairs, lights and locks to local residents. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

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 ninth in our series of photo essays reflecting on the past year of progress features the civic commons work in Cincinnati.

The proposed CROWN urban trail loop. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

Completing the CROWN

Cincinnati is one of the new expansion cities for Reimagining the Civic Commons. The team has spent the year organizing the local coalition of partners and studying Akron, Detroit, and Minneapolis through the RCC Learning Journeys and Studio. The local vision is to build the CROWN, a proposed 34-mile urban trail loop around the city. The Mill Creek Greenway is a critical remaining gap that proposes to traverse through several historically underserved neighborhoods. In 2022, began strategizing on how to activate greenspaces in Cincinnati’s Mill Creek Valley — public spaces that will one day be connected by the trail.

The Mill Creek has made significant environmental gains, but the Valley is still challenged by numerous injustices, including a history of industrial contamination and challenges like the bomb detonation pit. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

Revitalization in the Mill Creek Valley

Despite once being on American Rivers’ Most Endangered River list, the Mill Creek’s ecosystem and water quality have made a surprising comeback. The CROWN trail loop presents a unique opportunity to build on this momentum by reconnecting neighborhoods that have been historically segregated due to the construction of I-75 and I-74 in the 1960s. Numerous other inequities are present in the Mill Creek Valley today — including contaminated brownfields, food deserts, and a bomb detonation pit housed within the city’s Fire Department Training Facility — right across the street from Ethel M. Taylor Academy elementary school. The smoke in this photo is from a bomb being detonated at the facility, contrasted by a Great Blue Heron flying over the Mill Creek.

Cincinnatians, led by newly elected Mayor Aftab Pureval, ride bicycles from Cincy Red Bike on their way to the inauguration ceremony at City Hall. Image courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

Planning for equitable infrastructure investments

In January 2022, Cincinnati welcomed a new mayor and city council, which has ushered in an unprecedented year of action prioritizing racial equity. One of the first major initiatives was an update to the City’s longstanding Green Cincinnati Plan. Through a collaborative partnership with Groundwork Ohio River Valley and Green Umbrella, residents have co-created Climate Safe Neighborhoods plans for communities along the Mill Creek. In parallel, the city administration has aggressively pursued federal infrastructure funding, securing a $20M RAISE grant and $127 INFRA grant for roadway improvements that incorporate safe connections for biking and walking in the Mill Creek Valley. The city also recently applied for a grant through the EPA to develop brownfield remediation plans in these communities.

Community trail walks and the launch of a working group to engage residents are some of the first steps being taken to build a groundswell of support. Images courtesy of Tri-State Trails.

Building the coalition

Throughout 2022, Tri-State Trails and partners have worked to raise awareness about the trail opportunity through community walks and bike rides along the proposed CROWN route. The trail advocacy organizaiton’s Pop-Up Bike Shop series is equipping residents with safe bikes, lights, and locks. At the same time, it has organized a working group to engage residents, community development corporations, nonprofit partners, and local government agencies in the trail planning process. While the team has a long journey ahead to realize this big vision, they’re excited to be moving forward on a united front.

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.