As civic leaders, we are challenged with balancing competing interests, all vying for position within our budgets and policy agendas. Public-space investments usually do not fare well in these calculations. And yet in Akron, they have prioritized their public spaces because the investments we make in them have a protective function in neighborhoods. These places are not just where people gather, but are central to our social, economic, and environmental policy goals. Whether it’s offering midnight basketball to combat youth violence or leveraging our plazas to support downtown residential development, supporting healthy public spaces is a strategy to halt population decline and rebuild. Follow this link to read more.
Sourced from: Governing