September 8, 2016
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.
