Oxford Trail project wins prestigious state planning award

Oxford Trail project wins prestigious state planning award

Published on October 24, 2025

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Even though construction has just begun on the Oxford Trail project - a $9 million investment in the City's first ward - it's already being recognized as a model for inclusive and community-driven planning.

The Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) has bestowed its 2025 Planning Excellence Award for Advancing Diversity and Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff to the project for promoting equity and community engagement in urban planning. MAP officials presented the award to Oxford Trail project partners - The City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGR) and Progressive Companies - Wednesday evening at the Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo.

"This isn't just about a trail," said Laura Cleypool, interim parks and recreation director. "As MAP recognized, it's about collaborating with community to create a space that fits their needs and wants as well as the City's goals. This was an opportunity to really listen to the local neighbors and involve them in the planning process."

A jury of planning professionals from the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association selected the Oxford Trail project for the award. In their recommendation, they wrote:

"The engagement efforts were just what was needed by this community for this project."

The Oxford Trail Improvement Project engagement included a robust, community-driven planning process led by the City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with DGRI, which gathered input from residents of the Roosevelt Park and Black Hills neighborhoods to shape a vision for the trail. It helped scope the revitalization of over 2.5 miles of trail into a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable public space that fosters neighborhood connectivity, celebrates local culture through public art and gathering spaces, enhances environmental stewardship with native plantings and preserved trees, and promotes health and accessibility through improved pedestrian and biking infrastructure.

On Sept. 30, the project partners broke ground on the Oxford Trails project. This new non-motorized trail will connect the Roosevelt Park and Black Hills neighborhoods to downtown Grand Rapids.

Funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act through the City's Parks and Recreation Department, along with a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.

The project supports goals outlined in community plans like GR Forward and River For All, which aim to strengthen neighborhood ties and improve access to the riverfront. To learn more about the Oxford Trail project visit grparks.info/oxfordtrail.

The Michigan Association of Planning is a nonprofit group that supports smart land use planning across the state. Learn more at planningmi.org.

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