Four Cities Split $40 Million to Fund Small Civic Projects

Akron, Ohio; Chicago; Detroit; and Memphis, Tenn., will split $40 million in funding for small, local projects aimed at revitalizing neighborhoods. Foundations in the four cities are launching a new initiative, “Reimagining the Civic Commons,” to improve such civic assets as vacant lots, closed-down schools, and neglected parks. While such projects usually fall to the bottom of a mayor’s budget list, the foundations hope they will bring neighbors together and integrate communities of different classes.

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