Community Impact – Page 53 – Knight Foundation

Program Area: Community Impact

AKRON, Ohio – Jan. 9, 2018 – To improve neighborhood life and support Akron’s future growth, Summit Metro Parks today announced $785,000 in new support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The funding will go to projects focused on transforming two parks near downtown Akron: $600,000 to develop the pump house at Summit Lake, and $185,000 to repurpose the historic barn at the former Valley View Golf Course, which is now part of Cascade Valley Metro Park. 

“Engaging people in creating the places where they want to live, work and play is vital. Downtown Akron is gaining steam, and this effort will help connect more neighborhoods to this revival,” said Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation program director for Akron.

“Parks are for everyone, and every neighborhood needs places for residents to meet and connect. With this support, Summit Metro Parks can ensure that every part of the county – including Akron – has public spaces they deserve,” said Lisa King, executive director of the park district.

Summit Metro Parks will work to build connections between these neighborhoods and downtown, building on efforts by the City of Akron to prioritize these two neighborhoods for development. 

Metro Parks will work directly with neighborhood residents to design and program the sites. The projects will aim to ensure that the city’s growing network of public spaces is design by and for all Akronites, and that the city’s revival is shared across allneighborhoods, including with residents in public housing near Summit Lake and the immigrant population in North Hill close to Cascade Valley.  

Summit Lake

Last year, Summit Metro Parks created a pop-up nature center at Summit Lake inside the Reach Opportunity Center (390 W. Crosier St., Akron). A part of the city’s Reimagining the Civic Commons project, a national initiative supported by Knight Foundation and other funders, the nature center was recognized as the top environmental and interpretive program in Ohio by the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association.

King said the pump house – where water was pumped to cool equipment for local industries in the mid-20th century – will eventually become the permanent home for educational and recreational programs like the ones the park district first introduced at Summit Lake in 2017. She added that the future outreach center at the pump house could also include meeting space for community organizations and serve as a reading center, arts center and more.

Before it was home to amusement parks in the early 1900s, Summit Lake was located along a transportation route for Native Americans, and later canal boats. It was a onetime source of Akron’s drinking water, but pollution from local industries affected the economics of nearby neighborhoods, and use of the lake was discouraged.

King said Summit Metro Parks is thrilled to be part of the area’s revival and to support residents.

Valley View

The Valley View Area is a 194-acre property that connects Cascade Valley and Gorge Metro Park in Cuyahoga Falls with Sand Run Metro Park in Akron. Its purchase in 2016 formed the second largest natural area managed by Summit Metro Parks, at just under 1,700 acres, and offers new ways to access the Cuyahoga River and the multipurpose Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, both of which are near the property’s western boundary.

Before it was a golf course, Valley View was a farm from the 1880s until the 1950s. It has been described as the last dairy farm in Akron. The barn was retained during construction of the golf course and became the clubhouse. Summit Metro Parks has identified the historic structure as a place worth restoring. The park will include opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking and more.

The barn will be used as a welcome and nature center to introduce inner-city youth, immigrants and others to nature and help to create the next generation of park users, King said. Already, Cascade Valley Metro Park sees countless visitors from North Hill, Akron’s “melting pot.” The neighborhood includes immigrants and refugees from countries like Bhutan, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Syria and Iraq.

Though the district doesn’t have a timeline for the opening of the pump house and Valley View Area barn, King said both facilities will allow Summit Metro Parks to further improve its outreach efforts as the organization nears its 100th anniversary in 2021.

Support for this project forms part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to leverage public spaces and civic assets such as parks, recreation centers, libraries and more to promote inclusion and foster vibrant, connected communities. Knight has made several investments in this area including the national $40 million Reimagining the Civic Commons initiative, which includes Akron as one of five U.S. demonstration cities.

About Summit Metro Parks

Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Summit Metro Parks conserves, sustainably manages and values natural resources for the health and enjoyment of the community, and inspires people to connect with nature through clean and safe parks. Resources include 14,300 acres, 16 parks and more than 125 miles of trails, with 22.4 miles of the popular Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Annual attendance averages 5 million visits.

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.

CONTACTS:

Nathan Eppink, Chief of Community Engagement, Summit Metro Parks, 330-865-8040 x215, [email protected]

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]

To improve Reading Terminal Market’s Filbert Street corridor so that it serves as a more usable public space.

Charlotte Castle is the Vision Zero and neighborhood programs coordinator for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems (OTIS). Below she writes about an October 2017 initiative launched by Knight Foundation and Niantic, the creators of Pokémon GO, to explore how technology can foster community engagement in several cities where Knight invests.

Last fall, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems teamed up with Knight Foundation and Niantic, maker of Pokémon GO, to bring the popular mobile game to the city’s second Philly Free Streets program. Philly Free Streets is a people-powered initiative that temporarily closes streets to cars, inviting people to walk, bike and play. From Philadelphia’s Historic District to the heart of Latino Philadelphia, the 2017 Philly Free Streets event connected several diverse neighborhoods with rich histories and cultural traditions. By integrating Pokémon GO into the 2017 Philly Free Streets program, we used technology to further encourage participants to explore the history and culture of each unique neighborhood.

As part of Philly Free Streets community planning, we invited neighbors to identify historical, cultural or community sites along the car-free route to serve as Pokéstops. We were looking to highlight the ways in which our city’s rich past has been folded into contemporary life in the Historic District, beyond the existing historical markers. In addition, it was an opportunity for residents in the diverse neighborhoods along the route to share their stories.

Players participated in a scavenger hunt to engage with stops along the route. To bridge any digital or language barriers, Philly Free Streets developed opportunities to participate in both English and Spanish. Those who visited each of the Pokéstops and explored the full-length route earned a Pokémon GO poster – and, even better, the satisfaction of exploring multiple Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Through this pilot, Philly Free Streets learned valuable lessons that may be helpful to other cities and communities as they consider experiments of their own:

  • Inviting community involvement advances inclusion and engagement. The Pokémon GO pilot required community involvement; we didn’t feel we could identify Pokéstops without community input. By inviting neighbors to participate in the programming planning, conversations were struck up about the rich history of, sometimes, seemingly ordinary places, and relationships were fostered.
  • Cities can adapt existing initiatives to keep pace with today’s technology. By integrating popular technology into existing programs – such as open streets events – cities are poised to grow their audience of engaged citizens. However, they should be mindful of the people who may have limited access to technology. A balance can be achieved, if you are strategic!
  • Local government should embrace experimentation. The future success of cities hinges on our willingness to adapt and embrace change. While it can be challenging to integrate of experimentation into an existing program, the lessons learned and relationships built make it worth it!

These discoveries, combined with other lessons learned, give us food for thought as we reflect on the 2017 Philly Free Streets program, and consider future planning and civic engagement efforts. One thing is certain: With over 10,000 Pokémon GO participants in the 2017 program, there is a clear demand for partnerships that embrace innovation and cater to changing community preferences.

To support safe and vibrant neighborhoods by convening community members to resolve problem properties which degrade neighborhood safety.

MIAMI – Jan. 4, 2018 – Raul Moas will join the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as its Miami program director, effective March 1.

Knight’s programs in Miami are primarily focused on creating a strong entrepreneurial economic base in the region and in the arts. Moas, an investment professional and social innovator, will be responsible for the economic and innovation initiatives. 

Moas served as the managing director of AGP Miami, an angel investor network that brings together early-stage investors to support South Florida’s most promising tech startups. In that role, he created programs and partnerships to broaden the pool of investors in the city’s early-stage startups. In the last four years, AGP has grown to nearly 100 active investors and made more than 24 investments in South Florida companies totaling more than $7 million.

Prior to joining AGP, Moas served as executive director for Roots of Hope, an international nongovernmental organization focused on youth empowerment in Cuba. At Roots of Hope, Moas led the creation of programs like StartUp Cuba, which supports emerging entrepreneurs from the island in gaining practical skills, and social ventures like Discover Cuba, which has facilitated hundreds of socially conscious trips and family reunifications.

A Miami native, Moas is passionate about Miami and deeply involved in making his community a better place. As a member of the Global Shapers Miami Hub, the young professional arm of the World Economic Forum, Moas focuses on promoting equitable development in Miami. Moas is also a member of Class VIII of The Miami Foundation’s Miami Fellows program.

“Raul has a strong track record supporting Miami’s innovators. His insight and commitment to this city will enable Knight Foundation to continue to invest in the people connecting and empowering the city’s burgeoning entrepreneurial community,” said Sam Gill, Knight Foundation vice president for communities and impact.

“As a Miami native, I am especially thrilled to be joining Knight Foundation in realizing our city’s potential to be aglobal hub where exceptional people and ideas thrive,” said Moas. “We are a complex and dynamic community, full ofincredible entrepreneurs, artists and civic leaders, who are all eager to build a better Miami. I look forward to advancing this goal together.”

Moas previously served as a tax associate at global consulting firm EY’s Miami office where he focused on international tax planning and transfer pricing. He earned a Master of Science in taxation and a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Miami, and is a licensed CPA in Florida.

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.

Contact: Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]

To enhance public life at Stark State Community College’s new Akron campus by activating its outdoor commons near the main entrance.

To enhance the work of Lovett Library Park through programming to attract new users and tools to measure impact.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Dec. 20, 2017 – The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced more than $1 million in new funding for 11 projects aimed at making San Jose a more vibrant place to live and work, driven by resident engagement.

Led by a range of nonprofit and urban development organizations, several of the projects focus on transforming San Jose’s public spaces into active hubs that serve to connect the community and improve civic life. From building a network of protected bicycling lanes, to offering learning opportunities to help civic officials design more vibrant public spaces, to programs that empower residents to get more involved in shaping their community’s future, the projects aim to create a more vibrant and engaged San Jose built for and by people. They also tackle some of the city’s most pressing problems, working to create more affordable housing, foster understanding of local government and increase traffic safety.

“At the root of these projects is the idea that San Jose, like all cities, must be built for people – encompassing public spaces that connect and energize, streets that make walking and biking irresistible and pathways that open access to local decision-making for all residents,” said Danny Harris, Knight Foundation program director for San Jose.

The organizations receiving support include:

Gehl Studio, Inc. ($249,600) – Providing public life trainings and capacity building for San Jose’s city and civic leaders to help them better advance, design and measure efforts to make the city’s public realm more vibrant and people friendly. Gehl will also produce two San Jose-specific reference handbooks containing guidelines and resources for integrating public life into civic projects and work with the community on a vision document to advance this goal.

National Association of City Transportation Officials ($198,000) – Improving neighborhood life by designing an all ages and all abilities bicycling network across central San Jose and sharing lessons learned with a national audience. The organization will work with the City of San Jose to expedite the process of designing, constructing and maintaining protected bike lane projects with a specific focus on central San Jose.

California Walks ($150,000) – Creating a safer and more walkable San Jose by supporting the launch of Walk San Jose, the city’s first pedestrian advocacy program. Through the program, the organization will work with city officials and community members to advance initiatives that support walkability, organize events that encourage people to explore San Jose on foot, and act as a convener for citizens, community organizations and civic leaders interested in making the city more pedestrian-friendly.

iCivics, Inc. ($75,000) – Encouraging middle and high school students and their parents to get more involved in local government by developing a customized version of the iCivics educational video game, “Counties Work” focused on Santa Clara County. The game teaches players about local government by challenging them to complete activities such as building public spaces, finding the right department to address their concerns, or managing resources.

Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California ($75,000) – Creating more affordable housing in San Jose by piloting new engagement and outreach tools that will open opportunities for residents to learn about, participate in and lead solution-building and other initiatives.

SFMade, Inc. ($75,000) – Increasing work opportunities for people in underserved communities through the creation of Manufacture San Jose, a program that will deliver educational and hiring support to local manufacturers looking for local talent. Through the program, SFMade will also increase outreach to low-income high school students to educate them about careers in manufacturing and place students in paid “makerships” – positions that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship – with local manufacturers.

SV@Home ($75,000) – Supporting housing-ready communities in Santa Clara County through public education, policy and communication efforts that aim to ensure the success of Measure A, a $950 million bond measure for affordable housing approved by voters in November 2016.

San Jose Taiko ($45,000) – Connecting the city’s diverse residents by launching “Yokoso!” – a project to promote and preserve the unique neighborhood feel of Japantown by welcoming newcomers to the community and actively promoting their inclusion.

SOMOS Mayfair ($30,000) – Advancing civic engagement by expanding the organization’s efforts to engage residents in creating positive change in their communities through programs that educate people on local systems, connect neighbors, advance leadership development and encourage people to voice their concerns.

YWCA Silicon Valley ($30,000) – Building grassroots women’s leadership capacity in San Jose and Santa Clara County by engaging underrepresented communities, especially young women of color, to shape the priorities and implementation framework of a “Women’s Bill of Rights” ordinance for San Jose.

Catalyze SV ($28,837) – Supporting the launch of a grassroots group aimed at increasing community engagement and support for urban, mixed-use and people-friendly projects across Santa Clara County.

Funding for these projects forms one part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to support the urbanization of a traditionally sprawling city with a specific focus on central San Jose and how the city’s core can attract and retain talent, expand opportunity and build a culture of civic engagement. Since 2008, Knight Foundation has invested more than $24 million in San Jose.

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 knightfoundation.org.

CONTACT:

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]

To support the launch of 500 Startups in Miami, a global accelerator which aims to improve the success of startups in Miami-Dade County through mentorship, coaching, access to funding and community building.

To support the transformation and development of Philadelphia’s waterfront by building a shared civic space that will reconnect neighborhoods to their public waterfront and each other.

To support the expansion of Venture Café Miami.