Detroit Receives $1M To Help Improve Public Spaces

DETROIT (AP) — Efforts to improve public spaces in Detroit are being bolstered by just over $1 million in new investment and an additional three-year commitment through a national initiative.

The Reimagining the Civic Commons initiative works to transform public spaces in ways that advance engagement, equity, environmental sustainability and economic development, city officials said.

Detroit was chosen in 2016 as one of five cities to participate in the initiative, which has helped support reinvestment in Detroit's Fitzgerald neighborhood, including the construction of Ella Fitzgerald Park, community programming and events, and the rehabilitation of a number of new community storefronts along West McNichols Road.

Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of national foundations and local partners.

Five more cities have been added. For the next three years, each city will continue to transform civic assets to connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust and create more resilient communities.

"The current crisis has shown how critical public spaces are to the health and well-being of the community," said Arthur Jemison, Group Executive for Planning, Housing and Development. "Through this initiative, Detroit has invested in equitable neighborhood revitalization by enhancing our parks, streets, commercial corridors and residential communities around a vision driven by the community and in partnership with its leaders and institutions."

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