To support San Jose Walks to develop interesting and safe strategies to encourage people to use San Jose streets, parks, roads, trails and paseos on foot.
Program Area: Community Impact
To support the growth of the Institute for Data Science and Computing, an interdisciplinary center of scholarship that enables data science research, application and education at the University of Miami.
A $394,200 investment will support a more vibrant public life in the historic neighborhood’s newest plaza
Contact:
Kenny Ma, Knight Foundation, [email protected], 305.908.2646
Britt Clampitt, City of Charlotte, [email protected], 704-336-4935
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Feb. 11, 2020— In an effort to increase connections among residents and support equitable development in Charlotte’s Historic West End, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has provided the City of Charlotte $394,200 in funding to support the city’s $5.5 million urban open space, Five Points Plaza.
The Charlotte City Council voted Monday to accept Knight Foundation’s three-year grant, which will fund two to four weekly events hosted by the city and support community-hosted events. The plaza is currently under construction and scheduled to open at the end of 2020.
Knight’s investment will support neighborhood engagement, planning and programming at the plaza to increase connections and promote inclusive, resident-led development of the district.
Leaders of the Historic West End neighborhood said they are “excited to see the Five Points intersection activated into a space” that their community “will enjoy for years to come.” They have also said their sustainable programming solutions for Five Points “will benefit the neighborhood residents of every generation and ethnicity, while complimenting the various businesses along this historic African-American corridor.”
Located near Johnson C. Smith University and home to some of the city’s oldest African American neighborhoods, Historic West End has housed civil rights leaders, college presidents and other black community leaders. Its recent growth has presented opportunities to boost community engagement. Five Points Plaza will be a cultural, educational and entertainment public space that reflects the neighborhood’s identity and history.
“The Five Points Plaza is centrally located and will serve as a hub and gathering space for college students, residents of Historic West End and throughout the city,” said Charles Thomas, Knight Foundation’s Charlotte program director. “Our investment will help residents work with the city to build a plaza that represents and includes them.”
West End leaders have said they are determined to “perpetually guide the level of community engagement,” inclusiveness and “infuse the artistic and historical expertise for which” West End residents are known for during the planning process with the city.
The plaza is part of the city’s West Trade/Rozzelles Ferry Comprehensive Neighborhood Investment Plan (CNIP), which connects Charlotte’s west side neighborhoods with employment, institutional and retail areas through transit, streets, sidewalks, greenways and bike lanes.
The investment will provide funding for:
- Programs and events co-created and designed with the community, which will include fitness, music, entertainment, vendors and more;
- A part-time event coordinator to manage activities in the plaza and liaise with the community;
- Consultants who specialize in community engagement, building capacity and equitable public space management;
- A partnership with the Johnson C. Smith University to hire student ambassadors for the plaza and its activities;
- Resources and marketing materials to support and promote the project; and
- A Wi-Fi network in the plaza for educational and training opportunities.
More information about Five Points Plaza is available at charlottenc.gov.
Visit the city’s website for more information about Five Points Plaza.
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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.
About the City of Charlotte
The City of Charlotte provides services to more than 870,000 residents. The city’s priorities are workforce and business development; transportation, planning and the environment; safe communities; and great neighborhoods. For the latest news and updates about city government, visit the citywide newsroom at newsroom.charlottenc.gov, and follow @CLTgov on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Image (top): Courtesy of the City of Charlotte
On February 11, 2020, Knight announced $394,200 in new funding to help create the Five Points Plaza in Charlotte’s West End. See the press release for the announcement here.
In the heart of Charlotte’s Historic West End – where rapid growth and development is changing the cityscape – there will soon be a public space designed to engage the community and connect people to each other and their iconic neighborhood.
The Five Points Plaza – the first new city-owned public space in over 25 years– will serve as hub for community life, a place where residents will have access to amenities such as a splash pad, amphitheater, public art, food trucks, concerts and WiFi among other things. More importantly, it will be a signature place where residents, working in partnership with the city, will determine what kind of public programming would best reflect the area’s culture, identity and history.
This week, Knight Foundation invested $394,200 into the Five Points Plaza project to support planning and programming in the plaza, allowing residents to put their stamp on plaza activities. In order for this effort to bear fruit, it’s essential that the city is engaged with the residents to successfully design and coordinate programs that are authentic to the Historic West End. This project reflects Knight’s focus to elevate community voices and support greater economic opportunity for all in West End.
Leaders of the Historic West End neighborhood have told us they are “excited to see the Five Points intersection activated into a space” that their community “will enjoy for years to come.” They have also said their sustainable programming solutions for the Five Points “will benefit the neighborhood residents of every generation and ethnicity, while complimenting the various businesses along this historic African American corridor.”
Located near Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte’s own historically black university, Five Points Plaza is surrounded by history. The West End is a center of African American life in Charlotte, a place where residents mix easily with college presidents, civil rights leaders and other black community leaders.
Knight’s investment will help city staff and community members work together to imagine and activate the plaza. Setting up a programming committee, management organization and sponsorships will be a co-creation process between the Historic West End residents and the city designed to meet everyone’s public space goals. Programming public space is a new and exciting challenge for city staff, one that will study management practices from other successful projects across the country.
West End leaders have also told us they are determined to “perpetually guide the level of community engagement,” inclusiveness and “infuse the artistic and historical expertise for which” West End residents are known during the planning process with the city.
City staff and neighborhood leaders will also work to ensure the programming and management structure includes every voice. The Historic West End is facing rapid development, which will be enhanced by the future addition of the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar. Ensuring Five Points Plaza, which will serve as a huge community asset for the west side, is managed in a way that reflects the Historic West End’s rich African American heritage is essential.
Five Points Plaza will open in late 2020. In the meantime, city staff and neighborhood leaders will start a community engagement process beginning this summer. Determining parameters around the use of the plaza, sponsorship and type of events will be the first step to ensuring that the plaza is a vibrant and exciting public space that truly honors an important part of Charlotte’s history.
Erin Chantry is a senior urban designer and planning project coordinator at the City of Charlotte’s Urban Designer Center in Planning, Design, and Development. Charles Thomas is the Knight Foundation’s Charlotte program director.
Image (top): Courtesy of the City of Charlotte
To support the City of San Jose to conduct a study of cities’ business models, policies, and procedures for the stewardship of public spaces and propose a model for the Guadalupe River Park.
Eight projects will receive over $1 million to foster stronger connections among entrepreneurs, grow funding capacity and expand access to mentors and professional development
Contact: Kenny Ma, Communications Director, Knight Foundation, 305.908.2646, [email protected]
MIAMI — January 30, 2020 — In an effort to increase funding and build stronger connections for Miami entrepreneurs, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced today more than $1 million in funding for eight promising local projects.
From an angel investment group that brings together black investors, to an organization that makes Miami’s private wealth more accessible to local ventures, to a group that convenes entrepreneurs through monthly workshops led by seasoned entrepreneurs, these initiatives will accelerate Miami’s evolution into a city where high-growth entrepreneurship thrives.
“Globally competitive cities are known for being great places for entrepreneurs to build and grow companies. These investments are part of Knight’s deliberate focus to help great entrepreneurs thrive,” said Raul Moas, Knight Foundation program director for Miami. “We’re proud to support organizations building a community of entrepreneurs, investors and innovators who create lasting change for our city.”
Knight’s investments will also support efforts to grow the pipeline of mentors for local entrepreneurs, support community-building and career advancement within Miami’s startup ecosystem for LGBTQ+ stakeholders, and connect diverse founders in high-potential businesses with each other and with prospective investors.
“Each investment speaks to our city’s intentionality in building a startup community that reflects Miami’s rich diversity and is accessible to all,” Moas said.
The eight projects receiving support include:
Black Angels Miami ($250,000): To contribute to a more diverse and inclusive venture investment landscape within Miami’s startup community by supporting the launch of Black Angels Miami, an angel investment group connecting its members to top-notch startups while also increasing the number of black angel investors.
Function Collective ($240,000): To elevate Miami as a source of investment capital in the global venture capital ecosystem by supporting the launch of Function, a membership organization that connects Miami’s investor and private wealth community and activates them in early-stage technology investments across the hemisphere.
Venture Cafe Miami ($160,000): To expand the diversity of high-growth businesses in Miami and engender a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem through Passport, a program that trains and connects founders in low-growth businesses with each other and with partners to enable these businesses to transition to higher-growth.
Craftspeople ($140,000): To increase the availability of high-growth company building expertise so that Miami’s founders do not have to look elsewhere for guidance and mentorship by supporting the launch of Craftspeople, a membership organization that brings together entrepreneurs through monthly workshops led by seasoned founders and venture builders.
Black Men Talk Tech ($100,000): To support more successful tech ventures led by black men by better connecting black entrepreneurs and investors through the expansion of the Black Men Talk Tech conference.
Miami Herbert Business School ($100,000): To increase the flow of global entrepreneurial leaders and knowledge coming through Miami by supporting a speakers series featuring distinguished leaders in business and venture building.
The Idea Center at Miami Dade College ($50,000): To create additional avenues for new participants to enter Miami’s startup ecosystem, and to create a denser, more familiar community of entrepreneurs and high-potential talent by supporting the local chapter of 1 Million Cups, a national network of weekly meetups by and for entrepreneurs.
Out In Tech ($50,000): To support community building and career advancement within Miami’s startup community for LGBTQ+ stakeholders by supporting the launch of the Miami chapter of Out in Tech.
Kevin Cadette, Black Angels Miami’s executive director, said Knight’s funding will help his group build a stellar pipeline of investment opportunities and curate a top-notch membership experience.
“Black Angels Miami was born out of a desire to get our members in on the ground floor of Miami’s burgeoning startup ecosystem,” Cadette said. “BAM believes diverse perspectives improve investment outcomes. With this in mind, we intend to recruit members of all races, creeds and orientations while proactively increasing participation by black investors.”
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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.
Image (top) by Ryan Parker on Unsplash
On January 30, 2020, Knight announced more than $1 million in new funding for eight projects to foster stronger connections among entrepreneurs, grow funding capacity and expand access to mentors and professional development. See the press release for the announcement here.
Seven years ago, Knight Foundation embarked on a journey to accompany Miami in its quest to become a global hub for innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship. Our decision was rooted in the belief that Miami’s entrepreneurial spirit, combined with the rise of global technology, could be transformational in terms of job creation, wealth generation and growing our residents’ attachment to the city.
Early on, we helped connect a fragmented entrepreneurial ecosystem. Knight invested in co-working and innovation hubs — including spaces such as LAB Miami and the Idea Center, and platforms such as Black Tech Week and eMerge Americas — which gave our community the physical space to come together. We also prioritized opportunities that expanded entrepreneurs’ access to funding and mentorship. Our support of Endeavor Miami, 500 Startups, Miami Angels and Babson College’s WIN Lab exemplify this.
Miami’s ability to attract and grow high-impact businesses has only gotten stronger in the following years. Early-stage companies like Neocis, Papa and Addigy are growing quickly; and recently acquired startups — Farelogix, e-Builder and Ultimate Software — demonstrate Miami’s ability to scale companies that have global impact.
We’ve drawn on the experiences of those who have gone before us in building thriving entrepreneurial hubs. We noticed a few things about the places where entrepreneurs not only found the resources needed to build a successful company, but were excited about being in that specific place. Chief among these traits was the sense of community, especially among founders of startups, that a city offered. Ecosystems with high levels of “local connectedness” among founders and their peers, investors and experts also have high levels of startup success.
We’re now homing in on three areas where we believe we can play a role in enabling Miami’s startup ecosystem to reach the next level:
- Strengthening connections between the local network of founders, investors and high-potential talent.
- Creating avenues for new talent — from longtime Miami residents to newcomers — to discover and participate in the city’s growing startup community.
- Attracting new investors, both those outside the region and those already living here.
In support of these goals, Knight Foundation announced today more than $1 million in new funding for eight projects that seek to accelerate Miami’s rise as a place where world-class innovators can create lasting change for the city and beyond. These endeavors — and our support of them — are a reflection of the intentionality with which Miami is building its capacity for high-growth entrepreneurship.
Investment groups like Black Angels Miami and Function are creating funding networks for entrepreneurs to access. Through our investments in organizations like Passport by Venture Cafe Miami, Out in Tech, 1 Million Cups and Black Men Talk Tech, we’re strengthening local connections among founders. Craftspeople and the Miami Herbert Business School Venture Leaders Lecture Series are growing the pipeline of expertise and mentors available to local entrepreneurs.
With deliberate focus, our city is seeking ways to make funding accessible, grow a startup community that reflects all of Miami, and help elevate our city into the global flow of talent and ideas that are shaping our world.
Monica Black, managing director of Function, said it best: “Miami is a city that is eager to grow, evolve and meaningfully participate in the technology-driven future of business. Its people are resourceful, talented and tenacious. I want to help expose this side of Miami to the rest of the world.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Raul Moas is Miami program director at Knight Foundation. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @rmoas.
Image (top) by Franck CHARLES on Unsplash
To redesign and rebuild Lock 3 as an excellent special event space and an inviting everyday day park for employees and new residents.
To create a signature park on the north shore of Summit Lake in Akron that will serve as an urban destination and better connect downtown to the adjacent neighborhoods.
New initiative will advance park as a regional hub for residents and visitors
Contact: Roshni Neslage, Communications Officer, Knight Foundation, 305.908.2623, [email protected]
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — January 22, 2020 — The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced a new three-year initiative to support the redevelopment of the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens, advancing the 254-acre site as a defining and iconic space for all San Jose residents.
Rapid commercial and residential growth in the city’s urban core has created a unique moment to realize a decades-long dream of Guadalupe River Park as a true central park for San Jose. Located in the heart of the city and under the management of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC), the riverfront park currently features several notable spaces such as the Rotary PlayGarden and the Heritage Rose Garden. However, it lacks a comprehensive vision and plan to become a defining public space for the community to gather.
Knight Foundation’s investments, which will kick off with a $600,000 award to the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), will focus on shaping the long-term success of the park by supporting organizations leading planning, governance and programming for the site. Support for SPUR and other partners will seek to ensure community input drives the vision for the park and support new ways to program the space.
“The Guadalupe River Park is at a critical location in our community, serving as the spine that connects downtown San Jose’s commercial and residential life. This opportunity arose at a critical time as Diridon Station progresses, corporate campuses arrive in the city, and our urban core grows and thrives,” said Christopher Thompson, Knight Foundation program director for San Jose. “It’s the right time to bring the right people — exemplary community groups and leaders — together for this effort.”
“San Jose deserves an iconic public space for everyone, and everyone in San Jose deserves a place made for them,” said Sam Gill, Knight Foundation chief program officer and senior vice president. “Guadalupe River Park can be that place.”
SPUR will use Knight’s initial investment to begin research and analysis of the park space between highways 280 and 880, examining the area’s economic impact, ecological effects and issues around equity. SPUR will work with the City of San José and GRPC to advance a new level of collaboration between local organizations and community members. Knight’s investment in SPUR will also facilitate the addition of a policy director for placemaking and public life.
“SPUR could not be more excited to partner with GRPC on this project. We’re thrilled to help create a great public space for the city,” said Michelle Huttenhoff, who will step into the new director for placemaking and public life role at SPUR.
The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, in collaboration with the City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, is the nonprofit partner to provide community leadership for the active use and improvement of the park. The Conservancy plans on enhancing and promoting the park as a civic greenway, establishing it as the premier urban riverfront of the Bay Area. The Conservancy will lead the redevelopment and stewardship of the park, with the aim of building a vision, programming and governance model for the site.
“We are grateful for the continued partnership of Knight Foundation, SPUR, and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy to create an inspiring urban park that evokes the pride of our residents, and provides the venue for lasting memories for our visitors,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo.
With more than one million residents, San Jose is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States, is Northern California’s largest city and is the 10th largest city in the nation. This grant will inaugurate continuing investment by Knight in the park and its redevelopment over the coming years. Since 2008, Knight has invested more than $28 million to build a more engaged San Jose, with a focus on public life. It has also made significant investments to benefit the community in the arts, journalism and on a national scale.
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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.
Photo (top) courtesy of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy.
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On Jan. 22, Knight Foundation announced a new three-year initiative to catalyze the redevelopment of San Jose’s Guadalupe River Park. See the press release for this announcement here.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people traverse San Jose’s Guadalupe River Park and Gardens as part of their daily commute, to attend events at SAP Center or as they move through the city. On top of that, an estimated 242,000 people either live near or are within walking distance of the riverfront park. But few people have given much thought about the public space or see it as a desirable destination beyond a few marquee attractions.
That may soon change.
Today, Knight Foundation announced a three-year initiative to help launch the park’s transformation into an urban open space that’s more meaningful for residents and becomes a destination for them to gather. This initiative is part of a long-term vision to make the park an iconic public space that’s driven by the community it serves.
The Guadalupe River Park initiative begins with an initial investment in the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), and will be followed in the coming years by additional support for community organizations and projects serving the area. SPUR, the city of San Jose, and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC), the city’s nonprofit partner for the active use and development of the park, will work together to reimagine the 254-acre site — and transform it into the landmark space our community deserves.
The park has been a work-in-progress for more than 30 years. Today, with the development of the tech campuses and the addition of numerous corporate headquarters to the area, we’re approaching a critical mass of people who live, learn and work nearby — and who need a compelling public space that serves them.
Plans for the park won’t commence without community input. The City of San Jose, GRPC and SPUR are seizing this opportunity to work together to build a great destination, and we couldn’t be more delighted to support this work. They will begin the process by working with members of our community, building a vision for the area and ensuring that the park serves their needs. Together, they’ll engage in community planning, build a governance model for the park and initiate programming that brings people into this beautiful place. Knight’s investment in this initiative is reflective of their enthusiasm, and demonstrates a unique intersection of the right people serving the right place at the right time.
I’m excited to be representing Knight in San Jose and kicking off this investment with our community partners. Soon, they’ll start to lay out their plans to bring information to people who live, work, play and study in our great city. I hope you’ll look for ways to be involved, informed, and help build a vision for this special public space.
Christopher Thompson is San Jose program director at Knight Foundation. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @thompson_kf.
Photo (top) courtesy of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy.
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