Dear visitors to the ReImagination Café™,

I have been fortunate to live in some wonderful cities and to spend time in many extraordinary public spaces.

In Boston, I loved stretching out on a blanket along the Esplanade for the Fourth of July fireworks and listening to street musicians in Harvard Square. In San Francisco, my favorite way to start the day was a run at Crissy Field followed by the farmers’ market at the Ferry Building. And in New York City, I have spent countless hours running, walking, and people-watching in its glorious parks—Central Park, Bryant Park, and Washington Square among them.

What strikes me now is that some of my most vivid memories of these cities are tied to those shared spaces. That’s where life happened and where, without even thinking about it, I felt connected to those around me.

Today, I spend much of my time working in my office at home. Many of my conversations happen through a screen rather than face-to-face. And despite my dog Lorenzo’s insistence that it has been far too long since we visited the local recreation center—where he loves the surrounding walking trails and never misses a chance to greet another dog—finding even a 30-minute break in the day can feel impossible.

Like many Americans, I sometimes struggle with feelings of loneliness and disconnection. I miss the casual interactions I once had at the local library, bookstore, or coffee shop. And yet, it’s so easy now to have what I need delivered to my door rather than venturing out into the world. And honestly, I can’t remember the last time I stretched out on a blanket in the grass among others.

That’s part of what led me to create this latest two-part episode of the ReImagination Café podcast, Building a More Hopeful and Resilient Future by Reimagining the Civic Commons.

In speaking with Bridget Marquis, Director of Reimagining the Civic Commons, and with local leaders in Akron, Detroit, and Memphis, I kept returning to a question that feels especially urgent right now: Could our public spaces—our parks, trails, libraries, neighborhood main streets, and recreation centers—offer an antidote to the loneliness and disconnection so many of us are feeling? At a time marked by polarization and division, could they also help bring us closer together?

The more I learned about the Civic Commons work at Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia, Summit Lake in Akron, the Fitzgerald neighborhood in Detroit, and Memphis’s riverfront, the more the answer felt like a resounding yes.

During our conversations, Bridget made a compelling case that investing in our shared public spaces can help address many of our biggest challenges, including loneliness and social isolation, but also distrust, social segregation, and even the impacts of climate change.

I was equally moved by the perspectives of local leaders—Dan Rice and Grace Hudson in Akron; Alexa Bush and Karlyta Williams in Detroit; and Carol Coletta in Memphis—whose on-the-ground experiences show what becomes possible when local organizations, residents, small business owners, and public leaders work together with intention, humility, and trust.

Their stories illustrate that when investments in public spaces are made thoughtfully—when they are designed to encourage socioeconomic mixing, foster belonging, restore environmental resilience, and reflect the identity of the communities they serve—those places can become powerful catalysts for connection, trust, joy, and greater equity.

The data and the stories of impact are compelling. But what stayed with me most is how deeply personal this all feels.

In the podcast, Grace Hudson reflects on the simple act of walking her dog along Akron’s Towpath Trail and saying “good morning” to people as they pass by—and the potential for those two words to open the
door to a conversation with someone you might not otherwise meet.

Maybe that’s where rebuilding civic life begins.

It begins with choosing to step outside. Lingering a little longer in the park. Going
to the rec center. Saying hello on the walking trail. Finding our common ground.

Lorenzo, as usual, may be onto something.

Reimagining always,