Building a More Hopeful and Resilient Future by Reimagining the Civic Commons (Part 1) with Bridget Marquis

About this episode

Bridget Marquis discusses the importance of revitalizing civic commons to foster community connection and resilience.

In a time of rising polarization, social fragmentation, and widespread disconnection, how can communities rediscover a sense of shared purpose and possibility? Bridget Marquis of Reimagining the Civic Commons argues that the path forward lies in revitalizing our public spaces. In this first installment of a two-part conversation with host Jessica Cherry, Bridget explores why the spaces we collectively own—our "civic commons"—matter now more than ever, and how communities across the country are transforming parks, libraries, waterfronts, trails, and other shared assets into vibrant hubs of connection, belonging, and civic life. The episode also features two local leaders in Akron, Ohio—Dan Rice and Grace Hudson—who reflect on the central role that trust plays in Civic Commons work. Their experience highlights that progress depends not only on what gets built, but on how leaders listen, collaborate, and build relationships with the communities they serve. Together, these voices paint a hopeful picture of what becomes possible when we invest not only in our civic infrastructure, but in the social fabric that allows communities to thrive—and how rebuilding trust at the local level…

People in this episode

Host: Jessica Cherry

Guest: Bridget Marquis

Topics covered

• civic commons
• community building
• public spaces
• trust
• social connection
• resilience
• hope

Keywords

• civic commons
• public spaces
• community trust
• social fabric
• Akron
• Bridget Marquis
• Jessica Cherry
• resilience
• hopeful future

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reimagining the Civic Commons

Places: Akron, Ohio

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