The 11^th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C.—a planned repurposing of the retired 11^th Street Bridge across the Anacostia River between the East of the River neighborhoods and Capitol Hill into a vibrant city park—will connect communities and create new shared experiences across and along the Anacostia River. This innovative public-private partnership in the nation’s capital is re-connecting neighborhoods to the river’s banks and to each other.

A new report published by the Urban Institute is tracking 11th Street Bridge Park’s progress on its Equitable Development Plan, which outlines strategies for affordable housing, workforce development, and cultural equity. The report addresses what it takes to achieve equity in the context of larger challenges that face any entity seeking to produce meaningful gains for historically marginalized groups.

The High Line is an urban park that might have never been built and is now estimated to be responsible for $2B in impact. The Atlanta BeltLine, Buffalo Bayou in Houston, The 606 in Chicago, The Underline in Miami, Philadelphia’s Rail Park, and the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C. are among the emerging projects looking to unlock the potential of reimagined infrastructure and the benefits it can bring to their cities.

Equitable development is the primary focus of Building Bridges Across the River, the nonprofit organization behind the 11th Street Bridge Park project in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit has attracted the attention of major funders to support the implementation of the park’s equitable development plan.

Building Bridges Across the River, the District Department of Transportation, and OMA+OLIN updated community members on the project’s progress and introduced some minor changes to the park’s design.

Leon Waddy grew up in the District’s Shaw neighborhood in the ’80s and ’90s, but he doesn’t recognize much of it these days. African American residents used to make up 90 percent of the neighborhood. Today, they’re less than 50 percent.

Washington D.C.’s Wards 6 and 8 are right next to each other, but the two could not be more different.

The 11th Street Bridge Park will physically connect both sides of the Anacostia River. It’s a 1,200-foot-long, pedestrian-only expanse that will let people stroll between Capitol Hill and Anacostia.

It goes without saying that building bridges connects things, both literally and figuratively.

Cities are finding new ways to invest in social infrastructure, helping to bridge gaps among diverse socioeconomic groups and foster a greater sense of community.