Since the 2016 election, many philanthropic organizations have invested in programs that promote democracy, including work to improve civic organizing, government transparency, and community-led public participation in policymaking. These programs have the laudable goals of combating rising polarization, reducing social distrust, and disrupting the widespread social isolation that hamper our collective ability to exercise self-government and build civic commons.

The work to date, though important, has not succeeded in countering these troubling trends. We must do more to bring Americans together to heal as individuals, as communities, and as a nation.

Specifically, we must meet people where they are, in their daily lives, in ways that invite them to participate in civic life, by creating spaces for them to come together. In 2016, a group of funders, including Knight Foundation and the Kresge Foundation, partnered to form Reimagining the Civic Commons to transform public spaces in multiple cities nationwide. The initiative supports community-led teams of public-sector leaders, nonprofit advocates, and residents investing in and creatively managing public spaces to promote greater civic engagement.

Public spaces are physical representations of local government. When civic assets are high quality, they spark a new appreciation for what is public and reinforce the value of active participation in civic life. Because public space is visible and tangible, it can engage people who might tune out more abstract discussions of political ideas or the concept of democracy.

Through this work, we funders have continually asked ourselves an audacious question: Can strategic investments in local public spaces increase trust, engage people more fully in their communities, and connect Americans of different backgrounds to each other? We believed then, and know now, that these investments can turn the tide, in ways that have implications for future philanthropic efforts to promote democratic principles across diverse communities.

Building Civic Commons by Creating Community

For the last 10 years, some cities in our initiative, including our home cities of Detroit and Akron, Ohio, have tracked and reported their progress. All report encouraging results. These communities have seen more people visiting public spaces (and visiting them more often). More people are connecting to each other across differences of income and race; more people are engaging in community activities; and people have measurably greater trust for each other, for local institutions, and for local government.

Read the full article about building civic commons by Alexa Bush and Kyle Kutuchief at Stanford Social Innovation Review.