Activating Jacksonville’s Riverfront

Our work in Jacksonville—including grantmaking, funding research, and convening community partnerships—is designed to create spaces where the members of our community feel they truly belong. An important part of that work is expanding access to shared community spaces that reflect the diverse identity of our city.

To that end, we are helping to convene conversations to see how we might accommodate as broad a segment of wishes and desires for the Jacksonville waterfront as possible. Working with community leaders, we plan to gather input at the neighborhood level, build on prior work, and use what we learn to build consensus on how best to bring the Northbank and Southbank to life.

Public spaces have the potential to bring together residents from all walks of life; in that way, we also have a responsibility to make them as inclusive as possible.

When designed and activated in a way that feels welcoming and exciting, these are places that foster health, equity, dialogue and social connection for residents and visitors.

In order for public space to be successful, there must be a diverse slate of activities throughout all seasons and time of day. The culture and history of the community should be felt and be visible, and spaces should allow for flexible uses in the future.

The Riverfront Activation Plan is first and foremost about bringing people and energy to the downtown waterfront. The focus of the Activation Plan is on programs, activities, and events for and by all residents, and what is required to fund, run, and maintain these in years to come. We have included recommendations for funding and governance that allows for flexibility and sustainability of successful events that attract large crowds.

The design portion, which is not the main focus but important to support the recommended activities, has a strong emphasis on accessibility and connectivity.

As part of recommending activities and programs, we have come up with ways to soften the hard concrete spaces along the river, and wrap any hardscaped activity spaces in green surroundings. We think of this activation process as the starting point for future, potentially larger, developments of green spaces along the river.

This report is an important step in the process. It builds on the many prior plans, projects and visioning exercises for the riverfront, and goes further with recommendations for a public-private partnership to oversee progress. We are now in a second phase of work: the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Downtown Investment Authority and other partners are working with the City of Jacksonville to explore real, actionable next steps. We hope to begin implementing pilots and experiments on the river soon.

While we are focused on the publicly owned land, we believe that the successful activation of the riverfront is dependent on deliberate, planned interaction between the public and private spaces.

In the Activation Plan, we consider the downtown riverfront as a whole, looking at both the north and south banks of the river. To create vibrancy and make sure people use the riverfront on a daily or weekly basis, a wide range of activities are proposed, ranging from passive, restorative “activities” like areas for picnicking and seating, to exercise facilitates, venues for performances, and also public services like food markets or a kiosk with educational information or other community resources.

The goal of the Activation Plan is to create a vibrant riverfront which is welcoming and accessible to all, whether young or old, regardless of abilities or economic means, and regardless of whether someone is housed or unhoused. This requires thinking around basic amenities like restrooms and wash stations, as well as providing social services and opportunities on the riverfront.

We are in close conversation with the City of Jacksonville Parks and Recreation Department, the Mayor’s Office, individual City Council members as well as City Council Commissions. We are also in close touch with the Downtown Investment Authority and other city-funded organizations that have an impact on the waterfront. Through our stakeholder groups, we are working closely with businesses and organizations operating along the riverfront. Additionally, we are working with groups like Riverfront Parks Now and local CDCs to take into account the concerns and interests of as broad a group of stakeholders as possible.

Currently multiple organizations are partnering to bring this initiative to fruition – looking at both the community’s desires for the riverfront and possible funding models. Partners include the Downtown Investment Authority, City of Jacksonville, Jessie Ball duPont Fund, DVDL and Groundwork Jacksonville.