07/07/2025

Advancing Diversity and Social Change

Oxford Trails

City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., Progressive Companies

Oxford Trails reimagines an underutilized corridor into a multifunctional urban trail that improves neighborhood connectivity, reflects cultural identity, and supports health, fitness and well-being. The project enhances access to nature and the Grand River, integrates public art and historical storytelling, and uses design strategies that elevate the voices and experiences of residents who have often been excluded from traditional planning processes. Anchored in the southeast side of Grand Rapids—an area shaped by generations of Black residents and long subjected to systemic disinvestment—the project seeks to honor history while advancing environmental justice, mobility, and cultural representation. Jurors said: "The Oxford Trail is more than just a trail." MAP congratulates the City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., and Progressive Companies!