BUILDING
STRONGER
CITIES,
WITH THE
POWER OF
IMAGINATION
ANSWERING BIG QUESTIONS
HIDING IN CITY BLOCKS
BY KRISTEN SOLES MCCRACKIN AND MACON MAGAZINE STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DSTO MOORE AND MIKE YOUNG
C
AN A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK ALLEVIATE POVERTY? A er the COVID-19
pandemic, how does society best come together in public again? And how do people
learn to really trust those who look and act differently to them? These questions may
seem like esoteric topics for a philosophy class, but they form the cornerstone of a real-world
task force here in Macon that is pounding the pavement — literally — to change our city for
the greater good.
The Reimagining the Civic Commons (RCC) initiative believes local public spaces can
break down silos that keep people apart and, in doing so, solve some of the most pressing issues
of our time. It began as a network of city governments, nonprofits, and community groups
powered by four national foundations: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The JPB
Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and William Penn Foundation.
The original cohort of five cities, chosen to be demonstrations of how to put better urban
life into practice, were well known. Chicago. Detroit. Philadelphia. But when five expansion
cities were announced in 2020, one name was significantly smaller than the rest: Macon,
Georgia. A testament to the strength of our collaborative community-building, Macon's RCC
team is showing the country how we create change where soul lives.
ARTIST KEVIN "SCENE" LEWIS STANDS IN FRONT OF HIS NEWLY COMPLETED MURAL AND
TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES ON WALNUT STREET
APRIL/MAY 2023 | maconmagazine.com 51
