National initiative announces local investment in public spaces that advance healing and systemic change
Minneapolis – Reimagining the Civic Commons (RCC) recently announced a $750,000 investment in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The grant is part of the initiative’s ongoing work to revitalize public spaces in ways that benefit communities.
Over the next three years, funds will support a cross-sector team, led by Paul Bauknight from the Center for Transformative Urban Design, as they pilot a design justice studio in three commercial corridors: West Broadway Avenue, Arcade Street, and downtown Longfellow. These studios will be a hub for artists, community members, professionals, and other groups to connect, learn, strategize, and develop implementable solutions to current community challenges.
The local team also plans to create a study reimagining Minneapolis police stations as neighborhood investments that strengthen communities. A design justice studio will guide this research and develop a plan to redesign existing precincts through an intensive community-based approach.
Environmental Initiative will be a key collaborator in this process.
“We are honored and excited to partner with Paul Bauknight and Reimagining the Civic Commons to bring a larger environmental and social equity perspective to this important and timely project in Minneapolis and St. Paul,” said Mike Harley, executive director of Environmental Initiative. “Building collaborative relationships across perspectives, power, and systems is a key component of our work.”
Nationally, RCC’s innovative model supports changes in how communities design, manage, and program public spaces like parks, trails, community centers, libraries, and public gardens to counteract harmful trends in social isolation, economic segregation, climate change, and more.
Teams of civic leaders stretch across ten cities in Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and California.
“The work in Minneapolis and St. Paul recognizes that place is one of the most important drivers of equity and prosperity in America,” said Bridget Marquis, director of Reimagining the Civic Commons. “We are eager to learn from the design justice studio pilot as it seeks to heal generational harms while co-creating welcoming, diverse public spaces.”
RCC launched in five cities in 2016 and later expanded to include additional cities in 2020. This current phase is funded by nearly $10 million in investments from The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation.
Concurrent with this announcement, the initiative released reports showing impacts in three of the longest participating cities. The data demonstrates that collaborative public space efforts are improving diversity in use of public space, trust in local institutions, and positive ideals about the current and future of status of residential neighborhoods.
About Reimagining the Civic Commons
Reimagining the Civic Commons is an ambitious national initiative demonstrating that strategic investments in public spaces can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust and create more resilient communities. It is a collaboration of The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and local partners. Find tools and inspiration for your city at civiccommons.us.