Akron's Multimillion Dollar Bet on Parks

Akron, Ohio is using its parks as a cornerstone of its downtown revitalization project, hoping they will help draw more people and businesses to its downtown core.

As Jared Brey explains in Governing, the city opened the Lock 3 Park last year, a $17-million project that connects to the 100-mile-long Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which is being converted to a multi-use recreational trail that runs right through downtown Akron. “As the city has sought to improve its public spaces, it’s done so with the intention of building links between downtown and adjacent neighborhoods, and giving Akronites a reason to visit and spend time downtown — which has taken on new urgency in the wake of the pandemic.”

The park’s renovation, part of a multi-city project called Reimagining the Civic Commons, includes a new performance pavilion, landscaping, and signage designed to make the park feel safer and more inviting. Visitation to the park has grown, and “officials are also tracking subtler signs of revitalization and a perception of improved safety in the space: Women running alone in the park, and more people visiting during the day, walking dogs, sunbathing and picnicking.”

While public spaces are key to revitalization, experts note that land use reform is another key strategy. “For its part, the city is betting that the partnerships and shared strategy it’s building between government, residents, institutions and funding partners will pay off with a more active, vibrant and prosperous downtown.”