Bridget Marquis

What Halloween Can Teach Us About Civic Life On this special holiday, strangers open their doors, kids roam the streets after dark and neighbors actually talk. Why only once a year?

medium.com/reimagining-...

Halloween is special: We stay out after dark, we open our doors, and we invite children to take candy from strangers. The activity spills onto streets, making it one of the few holidays rooted in our shared civic realm. That’s why it feels so transformative.

Cover and interior spread of a booklet called "Environmental sustainability" with photos of people on bikes and pedestrians on a river pathway.

NEW: Investing with Intention: Environmental Sustainability is now available.
Public spaces can be powerful climate infrastructure & help cool overheated cities, absorb stormwater & strengthen social ties critical to resilience. Read the report as we head into #ClimateWeekNYC. tinyurl.com/5vdskjwy

We know that #socialinfrastructure - parks, libraries, and cafes - are critical. Help our panel on this important topic get into @sxsw by voting for it!
participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

Protecting public space is essential for democracy, writes Shawn McCaney in @nextcity.org op-ed. "Our Founding Fathers knew that public space to openly debate the people’s business was critical to self-government and the health of our democracy. Let’s not let them down." More: tinyurl.com/2erfw9fj

Collage of four downtown cityscapes.

Civic Commons cities in the spotlight! @brookings.edu recently featured Akron & Cincinnati's "policy innovation and civic collaboration that local leaders in places of all sizes can learn from to unlock a new era of downtown vitality that advances regional prosperity." Read: tinyurl.com/8zj5e2v3

Small is Beautiful When it comes to public spaces, a small space doesn’t have to mean small thinking.

Small is Beautiful: When it comes to the public realm, a small space doesn’t have to mean small thinking. Read our new article to see how 5 cities are building social connection and trust through pocket parks and beaches, converted lots and multi-functional public spaces: medium.com/reimagining-...

How 59 Data Points Helped Foundations Spark Elusive Change Big foundations behind a multicity project are trying to measure the intangibles of community building. In one Akron, Ohio, neighborhood, the numbers are adding up to something good.

“Reimagining the Civic Commons broke new ground on collecting impact data.”
A new @chronphilanthropy.bsky.social article shines a spotlight on our measurement work through Akron Civic Commons's efforts and offers 4 applicable approaches for the field.
Read more: www.philanthropy.com/article/how-...

How 59 Data Points Helped Foundations Spark Elusive Change Big foundations behind a multicity project are trying to measure the intangibles of community building. In one Akron, Ohio, neighborhood, the numbers are adding up to something good.

Big foundations behind a multicity project are trying to measure the intangibles of community building. In one Akron, Ohio, neighborhood, the numbers are adding up to something good. #TheCommons
phlnthrp.com/3GZsb0w

Menacing storm clouds over New York Harbor approaching Manhattan. Photo credit to Anthony Quintano.

NEW: After disasters, your community’s investment in social infrastructure - like libraries and parks - can affect how quickly recovery happens.
In New Orleans, researchers found that neighborhoods with strong social ties recovered more quickly after Hurricane Katrina. Read more: bit.ly/4n06uxv

A screenshot of the Philadelphia Citizen webpage for "Protests are Public Space Democracy IRL" by Shawn McCaney. The accompanying photo features a row of California National Guard troops holding shields and batons.

The freedom to gather in our public spaces and express free speech has always been essential to America, Shawn McCaney of the William Penn Foundation writes in @thephilacitizen.bsky.social.

Read more here: thephiladelphiacitizen.org/protests-as-...

“Keep Moving, Whatever You Do” We Walk PHL has logged over 3,000 walks in 28 city locations in eight years. It’s reshaping how Philadelphians feel and appreciate their parks

Bridget Marquis - dir. of @civiccommonsus.bsky.social - is in @thephilacitizen.bsky.social piece about Philly's We Walk PHL program that grows social capital, civic engagement & amps up shared identity. Every city could try this model and get more "bang for your buck," Marquis said: bit.ly/43zM07g

Mark your calendars! On 6/10 @civiccommonsus.bsky.social
Steering Committee member & eternal champion Alexa Bush joins @penalosag.bsky.social + @880cities.bsky.social
for free online presentation & conversation about
@cityofdetroit.bsky.social civic commons efforts. Register here: bit.ly/3FDIwr7

Live6 Alliance Chosen for Select Level Michigan Main Street Program | Michigan Business Live6 Alliance joins 22 other Michigan communities taking a strategic approach to revitalizing their downtowns and commercial districts

Big cheers for Detroit's Live6 Alliance, officially designated a Select Level Michigan Main Street Community by Gov. Whitmer. Building on Detroit's Civic Commons efforts, this designation allocates resources for Live6’s vision of inclusive economic community growth. See more: tinyurl.com/y6usm62w

Finding Friendship and Connection Through the Public Realm 6 cities are showing how imaginative use of public and nontraditional spaces can bring people together and grow community.

NEW: Finding Friendship and Connection Through the Public Realm. We explore 6 cities that show how imaginative use of public and nontraditional spaces can bring people together and grow community.
Read: medium.com/reimagining-...

The Lost Art of Lingering The way people behave in public space is changing. A researcher has ideas about why — and how we can make cities more equitable and…

"Despite the backlash, we found that Slow Zones double foot traffic and attract people from a wider range of neighborhoods into one particular place." Dr. Arianna Salazar-Miranda 👇
medium.com/reimagining-...

The Lost Art of Lingering The way people behave in public space is changing. A researcher has ideas about why — and how we can make cities more equitable and…

NEW: The way we behave outside is changing - we're not lingering with others in public spaces. Dr. Salazar-Miranda's research says we lose "broader social function of cities" "when people treat sidewalks and paths as primarily just corridors to get from point A to point B.” Read more: bit.ly/4dtJtyI

Tiny San Francisco neighborhood embraces huge idea for safer street San Francisco's night markets evolve with a new pop-up town square in Cole Valley — more than 500 plants, seating and a fresh take on public space activation.

A leafy pop-up town square by Civic Joy Fund + partners in San Fran has neighbors asking how to make it permanent.
We’ve seen through our work that pilots that help residents picture a different future for their communities leads to robust civic commons. Read more @sfgate.com tinyurl.com/2wwmkrx9

A person in a bright orange workshirt and khakis power washes a sidewalk mural of yellow flowers surrounded by maroon and teal patterns.

NEW: Maintenance matters. Researchers found that ensuring that public spaces are safe and welcoming encourages communal gatherings and reduces social isolation.

See how 4 cities are prioritizing the maintenance of public assets to build trust.

medium.com/reimagining-...

Thanks to @betterblock.bsky.social and @civiccommonsus.bsky.social for having me out to speak today about Route 66 and the City of Tulsa's neon sign grant, specifically how it's helped develop and engage the community. Enjoy magic hour later!

Summit Lake embarks on next phase of transformation with NorthShore groundbreaking Neighborhood revitalization effort will bring lakefront leisure activities to long-overlooked Akron neighborhood.

Kudos to Akron Civic Commons where the Summit Lake NorthShore Park groundbreaking last week was big news! Helmed by a group including convener Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition and @knightfoundation.org, the park is part of $12 mil revitalization of Summit Lake: www.beaconjournal.com/videos/news/...

Getting Our Kids Off Devices and Into Public Spaces Why creating opportunities for in-person teen interaction is so critical

Getting Our Kids Off Devices and Into Public Spaces:

In-person social connections & activities are key to teens' mental health & growth as they figure out who they are, how they fit into the world – and to connect to something bigger.

Read about 3 inspiring spaces for them: tinyurl.com/9mrxp2ke

Will you be at Main Street Now in Philly this week?
Join @civiccommonsus.bsky.social & partners in session:
🚦 Meet Me on Main: Nurturing + Measuring Social Connection
🚧 Building Community Connections: Exploring Civic Infrastructure Thru Shared Spaces
bit.ly/3RBBKEv

@mainstreetamerica.bsky.social

Screenshot of Northeastern University's School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs website reposting the Q&A that Professor Daniel Aldrich did with Bridget Marquis of Reimagining the Civic Commons, about robust social infrastructure being key to disaster recovery.

Check out @northeasternu.bsky.social boosting Professor @danielaldrich.bsky.social in conversation with Bridget Marquis about robust social infrastructure as tools for recovery from disaster and crises.

Read the full article and see the Q&A at medium.com/reimagining-...

Major Schuylkill River Trail Improvements Will Be Ready By Year's End The first link in the chain connecting the Schuylkill River Trail to Bartram's Garden is a cable-stayed bridge in Grays Ferry that will open around the end of spring.

Coming soon...a more connected Philly. Bartram's Garden will be linked to @centercityphila.org by end of 2025. Bartram's Mile was part of 1st @civiccommonsus.bsky.social pilot, so we're thrilled to see the Schuylkill River trail finished. bit.ly/3Y7qZNR

@knightfoundation.org
@phillymag.com

Four young people install blue decorative elements in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.

Regular activation and programming of parks and public spaces delivers more for communities and invites people to come together. See how @myphillypark.bsky.social
brings that to life this spring with cleanups, trail hikes and stargazing: metrophiladelphia.com/fairmount-pa...

Photo: Albert Yee

photo collage of playgrounds, parks, plazas, fields and promenades, all filled with people

The results are in: @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social's survey of practitioners shows the need for public spaces to answer to their communities.

"95% of respondents said their public spaces were not meeting their community's needs," the survey found.

But there is hope: pps.org/state-of-pub...

Watch: Memphis co-convener George Abbott of Hyde Family Foundation shares his story of reimagining the possibilities of the city's waterfront with WKNO's The Spark.

video.wkno.org/video/empowe...

Photo collage of a park, a library, a cafe and a mosque.

How parks, cafes, libraries and religious institutions make robust social infrastructure that can save lives. Sign up for our newsletter at civiccommons.us to learn more from @danielaldrich.bsky.social, in conversation with Bridget Marquis, director of Reimagining the Civic Commons.

U.S. Federal Funding Freezes & Agency Layoffs How are your efforts to improve or sustain civic infrastructure being impacted by federal funding freezes?

Percent for Place — a coalition that advocates for civic infrastructure — is collecting your stories of how federal actions are affecting your public space efforts. Submit your story here: pps1.typeform.com/to/Ga7xhQTC

In times of disaster and crisis, robust social infrastructure with communal spaces like parks and libraries can save lives, says @danielaldrich.bsky.social: "There are more survivors in those (connected) communities, and the recovery process is faster." See more at medium.com/reimagining-...