Culture park
In partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Culture Coffee, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA), the JFK Neighborhood Association, the Department of Environmental Quality, and Oklahoma Nature Conservancy partners, the Culture Park placemaking project will uplift various community assets to confront a wide range of environmental, social, technological, and economic disparities in the historically Black, JFK neighborhood edition through design and construction of a temporary community nature space.
Culture Park will include various elements that promote a functional, community space for neighbors to connect to, benefit, and learn from. Air monitoring devices will be installed throughout the site so that residents have the necessary technology to regularly collect data on the state of air quality and to inform long standing, community organizing efforts to combat these disparities. The park will be designed to feature plantings and landscaping strategies that will cultivate a resilient, nature-forward ecosystem that promotes a stronger and healthier natural environment where residents and nature can harmoniously coexist. Construction will be completed in 2026.
Additionally, an adjacent Black and locally-owned coffee shop, Culture Coffee, will expand by operating a food truck at the park, offering another amenity for residents to enjoy right in their neighborhood. The site will be designed to encourage residents and visitors to gather and strengthen relationships, learn from and connect to the natural environment, and experience collective wellness and joy.
Partners & Collaborators
Environment Protection Agency
Culture Coffee
JFK Neighborhood Association
Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority
Oklahoma Nature Conservancy
Department of Environmental Quality