Public Space and Trust
Strengthening civic engagement through civic assets
It’s been a long, difficult few months, and most Americans agree that the nation faces some of the most serious and grave challenges in our history. If a global pandemic, a deep economic crisis, and a long-overdue grappling with systemic racism were not enough, the country has now experienced significant political violence.
If we are going to solve the immense problems before us, we’re going to need to develop more trust, specifically trust in our institutions and perhaps most importantly, trust in each other. We know from our work over the last five years that communities thrive when people from diverse backgrounds can come together to form shared experiences. These shared experiences — which we have been working to foster in civic assets in ten very different cities across the country — are the basis for what sociologists call “bridging social capital,” the web of connections that “link people across a cleavage that typically divides society (such as race, or class, or religion).”
Research shows that opportunities to encounter others in the built environment are also correlated with people’s overall wellbeing. In cities, suburbs and small towns, Americans who live near public spaces like parks and libraries are happier with their neighborhoods and more trusting of others.
Reversing the trust deficit in America is part of why Reimagining the Civic Commons has made civic engagement one of our core priorities. Today, we bring you stories about open dialogue and innovative civic engagement through public space efforts in communities of different sizes and makeup, with lessons for civic asset practitioners everywhere about the importance of building trust through the programming and operations of our shared civic commons.
Building trust by speaking honestly about race
“This was a hard and not the most productive step, but it was a step. The racial reckoning that our city and country is going through requires having difficult, uncomfortable, and messy meetings to gain any progress. Supporting our public partner in this shows that we understand the importance and difficulty of the work. It is the beginning of trust-building.” — Paul Bauknight, Implementation Director, Minneapolis Parks Foundation
As part of a planning process for a new park at the Minneapolis Upper Harbor Terminal site along the Mississippi River, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board convened a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The Upper Harbor Terminal is a 48-acre site located along the river, owned by the City of Minneapolis. The future park, which will be 19 acres in size and is being planned by the Park Board, is happening simultaneously with a larger city-led redevelopment process focused on nearby commercial uses and housing.
The Advisory Committee had been asking for a deeper discussion on systemic racism, and a conversation was held via Zoom last September. The issue has been raised for discussion in a variety of contexts including native land rights, white space, culturally appropriate programming, and wealth creation. The planning process for the park at the Upper Terminal must navigate a variety of contexts, including the history of Northside neighborhoods being cut off from the river by heavy industry and a freeway corridor, while centering the lived experience of Black people in Minneapolis. In this way, Minneapolis is not moving with expediency, but much more meaningfully, it is moving “at the speed of trust,” to ensure that the future park is understood to belong to everyone in the community.
In Minneapolis, the riverfront offers a unique opportunity for designing spaces for future generations and reconnecting the city’s primarily Black Northside neighborhood to the river, a community that was cut off from river access for decades through industrial development and railway construction. The riverfront development will convert these former industrial land and rail lines, and intentional processes will continue to challenge our understanding of how parks serve a community and how to transform the civic environment without displacing existing communities. These difficult conversations, which are happening as part of the Citizen Advisory Committee process, have helped establish new relationships, understand different perspectives and forge solutions to local problems. Yet, to be authentic, old assumptions need to be challenged and connections need to be drawn between past choices and ongoing racial disparities. Only after these difficult discussions will the new park truly offer the community benefits we often celebrate.
Stewardship means cleanups and care
Public parks, trails, and other green spaces across Akron have been sought after for the last year more than ever, serving as places of rejuvenation, relaxation, and connection. They have also been a place of active stewardship by residents and volunteers, with more people wanting to show support for the places so critical to our civic infrastructure during the pandemic.
Akron Civic Commons partners remained flexible and creative during most of 2020 to assist people who wanted to be stewards of civic assets and to continue to connect with the community. Downtown Akron Partnership, which works to enhance the city’s downtown, worked with community volunteers to refresh the paint in Lock 2 Park. The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition engaged more than 200 people over the spring and summer months in smaller family and friend Canal Cleanups along the Towpath Trail and Summit Lake. Individuals supporting Akron’s civic infrastructure also pitched in to do their part.
Todd Clark, Recreation Supervisor at the Summit Lake Community Center, spends time each morning in Summit Lake Park, filling a 5-gallon bucket, often multiple times, with trash picked up from around picnic areas and along the lakeshore. “In just under an hour I can see the impact of my actions and I know that I have made the park a better place for our neighbors and visitors,” Todd said. “I’m also always hopeful that others will see my actions and join me in keeping the park clean. That’s how stewardship works, we all take a hand in making spaces better places.”
Engaging in the future of our public spaces
Planning remains underway for park enhancements throughout the Akron Civic Commons, with potential enhancements being shaped by neighborhood feedback. The Summit Lake neighborhood engaged in safe, constructive conversations about the future of Summit Lake’s north shore, including ideas for needed public infrastructure, accessibility, and design.
This engagement included in-person feedback at the Let’s Grow Akron Farmer’s Markets during the summer, which stood out as a meaningful place for community connection. This model of meeting people where they are, also included the opportunity to submit feedback through an online resident survey, as many residents are more apt to participate if given time to gather their thoughts. Neighborhood residents Sandra Saulsberry and Grace Hudson put together more than 250 bags of neighborhood materials to pass out to fellow community members, along with signs for front lawns encouraging people to make their voices heard. The signs, similar to election signs seen in yards across our communities, encourage community members to take action locally by visiting the online survey, which has garnered dozens of additional responses.
Community engagement is widely practiced in the civic asset realm but is sometimes delivered as a “check the box” activity on someone’s plan. Today, Minneapolis and Akron — along with cities across the country — are trying to do more than check a box. They’re focused on delivering long-term civic engagement in the form of diverse public life, robust stewardship of public places and renewed trust between people.
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.
