Urban parks are vital engines of downtown vibrancy. But many downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts still lag in recovering their pre-pandemic energy, evidenced by high commercial vacancy rates and limited new development. Some private property owners and businesses are struggling with cashflow and face challenging interest rates, impacting their capacity as placemaking partners. Public funding is under pressure as well, as federal budget shifts have squeezed city and state resources.
Yet cities across the country are doubling down on parks, treating them as keys to downtown growth and economic development. To create dynamic, well-maintained, and programmed public spaces, municipalities and their private partners are getting creative with parks funding.
In our Sunday Seminar, we’ll look at different examples of parks driving commercial vibrancy and economic development from across North America, including:
- 195 District Park in Providence, RI, a 7-acre urban park built on former highway land. Spanning both sides of the Providence River and connected by an award-winning pedestrian bridge, the park has become a beloved gathering place in Providence in the five years since it opened. With 1.8 million visits and over 300 events a year, most of which are free to the public, the park has successfully reclaimed land once occupied by an elevated highway for the community while supporting local creators and entrepreneurs. With a modest budget, the park has leveraged the vibrant local creative class, annually supporting over 1,000 artists, small businesses, and makers while simultaneously activating the park.
- Gathering Place, a 67-acre riverfront park in Tulsa, OK, is an example of how strategic partnerships with tourism agencies, civic organizations, and cultural institutions can elevate public green spaces into powerful tools for both economic development and community enrichment. Gathering Place has become a key asset in Tulsa’s efforts to attract tourism, promote equity, and enhance quality of life for residents. Much of this success stems from its intentional collaboration with organizations across sectors—from city tourism offices and civic organizations to nonprofit partners and local businesses. Through seasonal programming and everyday park use, Gathering Place illustrates how public spaces can drive visitor engagement and long-term urban vitality.
- The Olympic Plaza Transformation (OPT) project in downtown Calgary, Alberta, an example of a large-scale urban reimagination where a multi-sector partnership has embraced a placemaking approach and prioritized public space as the key driver in a pair of major capital improvement projects. Created as a venue for medal ceremonies during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, over the past 40 years Olympic Plaza has become a beloved civic gathering space for Calgarians; however, the plaza is showing its age, accessibility and other event services in the space are limited and the plaza has been challenged with increasing social and safety issues. The OPT project was born out of the Arts Commons Transformation project – a C$660 million expansion and modernization of the multi-venue arts complex that hosts six resident companies and hundreds of community programs throughout the year. The success of the project is the result of a strong partnership and shared vision between the City of Calgary Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons), and the OPT design team
