Brian Walker, Communications Manager, 509.655.1387
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 3:21 p.m.
The City of Spokane has been selected to participate in the inaugural Community Connectors program of Smart Growth America that will offer technical support and a grant of up to $130,000 to assist in addressing the impacts of Interstate 90 through the East Central neighborhood.
"The City of Spokane is thrilled to be selected as a participant alongside community partners for the Community Connectors Grant Program to repair the damage of divisive infrastructure,” said City Senior Planner Maren Murphy.
“This opportunity will help us build capacity to address the legacy of Interstate 90 in the East Central neighborhood and co-create local solutions for reconnecting the community. It builds on previous and ongoing work around the Fifth Avenue Initiative to reimagine East Fifth Avenue as a vibrant, healthy, active, safe and connected community.”
City Council Member Betsy Wilkerson added: “I’m delighted to hear the news of Spokane being selected to receive funding from the Community Connectors program. Since the beginning of my service as a Council Member, the bedrock of my priorities has been to ensure the revitalization of East Central and the East Fifth Corridor. This funding presents an opportunity to create a path of vitality in that neighborhood due to the structural harms of I-90 that will reverberate through the district and the city.”
East Central is one of the most diverse communities in Spokane and developed as a strong community of working-class and immigrant families in the early 1900s. Interstate 90 split the neighborhood in the 1950s, impacting residents, parks and businesses and isolating the area. The City seeks to co-design solutions to remedy these harms and build trust and new relationships with residents and community organizations.
The City is grateful for the support of community organizations and partner agencies, including the Carl Maxey Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center, Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington, Nuestras Raíces, Jasmin Group, Better Health Together, Spokane Transit Authority, Spokane Public Schools and Washington State Department of Transportation.
The program is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and led by Smart Growth America in partnership with Equitable Cities, the New Urban Mobility Alliance and America Walks.
Along with 14 other projects nationwide, the City of Spokane, one of two selected on the West Coast the only participant in the Northwest, will receive the grant to build local capacity to co-design a project alongside impacted neighborhoods to repair damage from divisive infrastructure and better connect the local community. More than 80 organizations applied for the program.
The Community Connectors program will occur over the next two years with community discussions and engagement. It also features a cohort learning exchange this November in Atlanta that links local leaders to experts and other cities attempting to accomplish similar objectives. The trip is funded by the program in addition to the grant itself.
“There is strong momentum to repair the inequities caused by divisive infrastructure, and we’re pleased to support the efforts of the City of Spokane to advance their efforts to create a more equitable transportation system,” Beth Osborne, Vice President of Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America.
Removing divisive infrastructure is largely uncharted territory in the United States, but the need to fix the impacts it has caused is imperative. Dividing highways and dangerous arterial roads often separates and harms the communities living around them. This is particularly true for communities that have been historically marginalized, who are more likely to live near large roads and face the environmental, economic and social impacts they cause.
For more information, visit https://smartgrowthamerica.org/community-connectors
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About Smart Growth America
Smart Growth America helps create healthy, prosperous, and resilient places to live for all people through research, advocacy, and direct community support. Our work spans housing and land use, transportation, and economic development to find solutions to communities’ most pressing needs. We work with elected officials at all levels, real estate developers, chambers of commerce, transportation, urban planning professionals, and residents to improve everyday life for people across the country through better development. www.smartgrowthamerica.org
About the City of Spokane
The City of Spokane, home to more than 220,000 people, is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest. Our 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for all our residents. For more information, visit www.spokanecity.org and follow us @spokanecity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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