(Note: you can view photos larger by clicking on each of them)Mr. Kutuchief returned to the Akron Rotary Club on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 to update the Club on progress made in several areas that the Knight Foundation is committed to. Mr. Kutuchief was named program director in Akron for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in May 2015. The foundation invests in journalism, the arts, and the success of cities where its founders once published newspapers.
In Akron, the birthplace of Knight Newspapers and the foundation, Knight focuses on downtown and inner ring neighborhoods through investments in public space and public life to increase population and advance equity. Akron is also part of Reimagining the Civic Commons, a Knight-supported national initiative that seeks to counteract economic and social fragmentation by revitalizing and connecting public spaces.
In Akron, the Knight Foundation focuses on the power of high-quality public space and public life to attract and retain people. The program(s) that include this focus is referred to as “Reimagining the Civic Commons.”
Reimagining the Civic Commons (RCC)
This initiative intends to be the first comprehensive demonstration of how a connected set of civic assets – a civic commons – can yield increased and more equitably shared prosperity for cities and neighborhoods.
Reimagining Civic Commons involves four strategic areas. These areas include Civic engagement, Economic integration, Environmental sustainability, and Value creation. Mr. Kutuchief proceeded to briefly explain each of the strategic areas and provided pictures of activities occurring in the Akron area including three specific Civic Assets: The Civic Gateway, Park East, and Summit Lake Park.
- Civic Engagement: When people enjoy equal status in shared spaces, a sense of community and respectful engagement is built, and our understanding of others increases. More people from diverse backgrounds participate in the shaping of their city’s future. View Summit Lake rebirth pictures.
- Summit Lake Park: Once the “million-dollar playground,” became an area marked by disinvestment, remembered only as a dumping ground for factories and for long-held negative perceptions of safety is now seeing a rebirth with neighborhood investment and engagement.
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- Economic Integration: Overtime, urban neighborhoods have become increasingly segregated by income, with poverty that is persistent and growing. By expanding the use of our shared civic assets by people from all backgrounds and incomes, we can improve economic opportunity from one generation to the next.
- Park East: Located between the Civic Gateway and the Summit Lake Park, this neighborhood is home to a variety of people, including homeowners, renters, and senior living.
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- Environmental Sustainability: A reimagined civic commons connects public spaces to increase access to nature and foster neighborhoods where most trips can be made by walking, biking, or transit. Investments are anticipated to create larger tree canopies, improve storm water management and increase energy efficiency.
- Value Creation: Open, active, and connected spaces can attract investment, helping to grow local businesses and change the perception of safety in a neighborhood. As surrounding neighborhoods increase in value, opportunities to capture some of that value can generate public benefits and support the operation of civic assets.
- Civic Gateway: Located on the northern end of downtown, the Civic Gateway is comprised of a variety of recreational and social amenities including the Akron Civic Theatre, Lock 4 Park, Cascade Plaza, and the Akron-Summit County Public Library, as well as the workplace of thousands of employees.
- Civic Gateway: Located on the northern end of downtown, the Civic Gateway is comprised of a variety of recreational and social amenities including the Akron Civic Theatre, Lock 4 Park, Cascade Plaza, and the Akron-Summit County Public Library, as well as the workplace of thousands of employees.
Mr. Kutuchief briefly discussed three specific Akron RCC Civic Assets. These assets are 1) Civic Gateway, 2) Park East and 3) Summit Lake Park.
Mr. Kutuchief also discussed the Polsky building project that is a joint venture between the Knight Foundation, the City of Akron and the University of Akron. It is an effort to provide a stronger connection between the University and the Downtown Area.
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Check out their website at www.Knightfoundation.org to learn more about the other initiatives that the Knight Foundation is invested in as well the history of the Knight Foundation as it relates to its place in the history of Akron.
Yours in Service,
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
