Bridget Marquis
@bridgetmarquis.bsky.social
Director of Reimagining the Civic Commons | passionate about cities and the public realm
Public spaces make everyday life more affordable. A recent article by @civiccommonsus.bsky.social lays out five concrete ways public spaces lower household costs. 🔗 medium.com/reimagining-...
5 Ways Public Spaces Make Everyday Life More Affordable
How parks, libraries and trails quietly lower your household costs
medium.com
🔥 Kyle Kutuchief & Alexa Bush in @ssir.org on @civiccommonsus.bsky.social's 10 yrs in public space & democracy — "these investments can turn the tide, in ways that have implications for future philanthropic efforts to promote democratic principles across diverse communities." tinyurl.com/3x7kk7d3
Want to Support a Healthy Democracy? Start Here. (SSIR)
After a decade of transforming public spaces, we are building trust and connection between Americans.
ssir.org
@civiccommonsus.bsky.social's Bridget Marquis tells @lisabubert.bsky.social why we need civic spaces: “to serve as literal common ground in our communities to counter both loneliness & socioeconomic segregation” -- including at karaoke bars, bowling alleys and churches. tinyurl.com/mvx8sby2
The Healing Power Of Social Friction | NOEMA
Could the key to bridging societal divides be found inside your local karaoke bar?
tinyurl.com
Read this great take by longtime colleagues @queenleslie1982.bsky.social + @cityobservatory.bsky.social on how Portlanders have fought back authoritarianism with satire and joy — reclaiming their city's narrative and offering a way forward to the rest of us. www.bizjournals.com/portland/new...
Opinion: The Frog that saved Portland - Portland Business Journal
Authors Leslie Carlson and Joe Cortright write that the frog is a symbol of resistance. It may also be a symbol of a city reborn.
bizjournals.com
medium.com/reimagining-... Halloween is special: We stay out after dark, we open our doors, and we invite children to take candy from strangers. The activity spills onto streets, making it one of the few holidays rooted in our shared civic realm. That’s why it feels so transformative.
What Halloween Can Teach Us About Civic Life
On this special holiday, strangers open their doors, kids roam the streets after dark and neighbors actually talk. Why only once a year?
medium.com
NEW: Investing with Intention: Environmental Sustainability is now available. Public spaces can be powerful climate infrastructure & help cool overheated cities, absorb stormwater & strengthen social ties critical to resilience. Read the report as we head into #ClimateWeekNYC. tinyurl.com/5vdskjwy
We know that #socialinfrastructure - parks, libraries, and cafes - are critical. Help our panel on this important topic get into @sxsw by voting for it! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
Protecting public space is essential for democracy, writes Shawn McCaney in @nextcity.org op-ed. "Our Founding Fathers knew that public space to openly debate the people’s business was critical to self-government and the health of our democracy. Let’s not let them down." More: tinyurl.com/2erfw9fj
Civic Commons cities in the spotlight! @brookings.edu recently featured Akron & Cincinnati's "policy innovation and civic collaboration that local leaders in places of all sizes can learn from to unlock a new era of downtown vitality that advances regional prosperity." Read: tinyurl.com/8zj5e2v3
Small is Beautiful: When it comes to the public realm, a small space doesn’t have to mean small thinking. Read our new article to see how 5 cities are building social connection and trust through pocket parks and beaches, converted lots and multi-functional public spaces: medium.com/reimagining-...
Small is Beautiful
When it comes to public spaces, a small space doesn’t have to mean small thinking.
medium.com
“Reimagining the Civic Commons broke new ground on collecting impact data.” A new @chronphilanthropy.bsky.social article shines a spotlight on our measurement work through Akron Civic Commons's efforts and offers 4 applicable approaches for the field. Read more: www.philanthropy.com/article/how-...
How 59 Data Points Helped Foundations Spark Elusive Change
Big foundations behind a multicity project are trying to measure the intangibles of community building. In one Akron, Ohio, neighborhood, the numbers are adding up to something good.
philanthropy.com
Big foundations behind a multicity project are trying to measure the intangibles of community building. In one Akron, Ohio, neighborhood, the numbers are adding up to something good. #TheCommons phlnthrp.com/3GZsb0w
How 59 Data Points Helped Foundations Spark Elusive Change
Big foundations behind a multicity project are trying to measure the intangibles of community building. In one Akron, Ohio, neighborhood, the numbers are adding up to something good.
phlnthrp.com
NEW: After disasters, your community’s investment in social infrastructure - like libraries and parks - can affect how quickly recovery happens. In New Orleans, researchers found that neighborhoods with strong social ties recovered more quickly after Hurricane Katrina. Read more: bit.ly/4n06uxv
The freedom to gather in our public spaces and express free speech has always been essential to America, Shawn McCaney of the William Penn Foundation writes in @thephilacitizen.bsky.social. Read more here: thephiladelphiacitizen.org/protests-as-...
Bridget Marquis - dir. of @civiccommonsus.bsky.social - is in @thephilacitizen.bsky.social piece about Philly's We Walk PHL program that grows social capital, civic engagement & amps up shared identity. Every city could try this model and get more "bang for your buck," Marquis said: bit.ly/43zM07g
“Keep Moving, Whatever You Do”
We Walk PHL has logged over 3,000 walks in 28 city locations in eight years. It’s reshaping how Philadelphians feel and appreciate their parks
thephiladelphiacitizen.org
Mark your calendars! On 6/10 @civiccommonsus.bsky.social Steering Committee member & eternal champion Alexa Bush joins @penalosag.bsky.social + @880cities.bsky.social for free online presentation & conversation about @cityofdetroit.bsky.social civic commons efforts. Register here: bit.ly/3FDIwr7
Big cheers for Detroit's Live6 Alliance, officially designated a Select Level Michigan Main Street Community by Gov. Whitmer. Building on Detroit's Civic Commons efforts, this designation allocates resources for Live6’s vision of inclusive economic community growth. See more: tinyurl.com/y6usm62w
Live6 Alliance Chosen for Select Level Michigan Main Street Program | Michigan Business
Live6 Alliance joins 22 other Michigan communities taking a strategic approach to revitalizing their downtowns and commercial districts
tinyurl.com
NEW: Finding Friendship and Connection Through the Public Realm. We explore 6 cities that show how imaginative use of public and nontraditional spaces can bring people together and grow community. Read: medium.com/reimagining-...
Finding Friendship and Connection Through the Public Realm
6 cities are showing how imaginative use of public and nontraditional spaces can bring people together and grow community.
medium.com
"Despite the backlash, we found that Slow Zones double foot traffic and attract people from a wider range of neighborhoods into one particular place." Dr. Arianna Salazar-Miranda 👇 medium.com/reimagining-...
The Lost Art of Lingering
The way people behave in public space is changing. A researcher has ideas about why — and how we can make cities more equitable and…
medium.com
NEW: The way we behave outside is changing - we're not lingering with others in public spaces. Dr. Salazar-Miranda's research says we lose "broader social function of cities" "when people treat sidewalks and paths as primarily just corridors to get from point A to point B.” Read more: bit.ly/4dtJtyI
The Lost Art of Lingering
The way people behave in public space is changing. A researcher has ideas about why — and how we can make cities more equitable and…
bit.ly
A leafy pop-up town square by Civic Joy Fund + partners in San Fran has neighbors asking how to make it permanent. We’ve seen through our work that pilots that help residents picture a different future for their communities leads to robust civic commons. Read more @sfgate.com tinyurl.com/2wwmkrx9
Tiny San Francisco neighborhood embraces huge idea for safer street
San Francisco's night markets evolve with a new pop-up town square in Cole Valley — more than 500 plants, seating and a fresh take on public space activation.
tinyurl.com
NEW: Maintenance matters. Researchers found that ensuring that public spaces are safe and welcoming encourages communal gatherings and reduces social isolation. See how 4 cities are prioritizing the maintenance of public assets to build trust. medium.com/reimagining-...
Thanks to @betterblock.bsky.social and @civiccommonsus.bsky.social for having me out to speak today about Route 66 and the City of Tulsa's neon sign grant, specifically how it's helped develop and engage the community. Enjoy magic hour later!
Kudos to Akron Civic Commons where the Summit Lake NorthShore Park groundbreaking last week was big news! Helmed by a group including convener Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition and @knightfoundation.org, the park is part of $12 mil revitalization of Summit Lake: www.beaconjournal.com/videos/news/...
Summit Lake embarks on next phase of transformation with NorthShore groundbreaking
Neighborhood revitalization effort will bring lakefront leisure activities to long-overlooked Akron neighborhood.
beaconjournal.com
Getting Our Kids Off Devices and Into Public Spaces: In-person social connections & activities are key to teens' mental health & growth as they figure out who they are, how they fit into the world – and to connect to something bigger. Read about 3 inspiring spaces for them: tinyurl.com/9mrxp2ke
Getting Our Kids Off Devices and Into Public Spaces
Why creating opportunities for in-person teen interaction is so critical
tinyurl.com
Will you be at Main Street Now in Philly this week? Join @civiccommonsus.bsky.social & partners in session: 🚦 Meet Me on Main: Nurturing + Measuring Social Connection 🚧 Building Community Connections: Exploring Civic Infrastructure Thru Shared Spaces bit.ly/3RBBKEv @mainstreetamerica.bsky.social
Check out @northeasternu.bsky.social boosting Professor @danielaldrich.bsky.social in conversation with Bridget Marquis about robust social infrastructure as tools for recovery from disaster and crises. Read the full article and see the Q&A at medium.com/reimagining-...
Coming soon...a more connected Philly. Bartram's Garden will be linked to @centercityphila.org by end of 2025. Bartram's Mile was part of 1st @civiccommonsus.bsky.social pilot, so we're thrilled to see the Schuylkill River trail finished. bit.ly/3Y7qZNR @knightfoundation.org @phillymag.com
Major Schuylkill River Trail Improvements Will Be Ready By Year's End
The first link in the chain connecting the Schuylkill River Trail to Bartram's Garden is a cable-stayed bridge in Grays Ferry that will open around the end of spring.
bit.ly
Regular activation and programming of parks and public spaces delivers more for communities and invites people to come together. See how @myphillypark.bsky.social brings that to life this spring with cleanups, trail hikes and stargazing: metrophiladelphia.com/fairmount-pa... Photo: Albert Yee
The results are in: @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social's survey of practitioners shows the need for public spaces to answer to their communities. "95% of respondents said their public spaces were not meeting their community's needs," the survey found. But there is hope: pps.org/state-of-pub...
