2025 All-America City Finalist – Kinston, NC
Kinston, North Carolina is a community defined by resilience, creativity, and collaboration. After decades of economic decline, environmental disasters, and systemic disinvestment, residents have rallied around a shared vision for inclusive revitalization. From repurposing downtown buildings into hubs of cultural and economic activity to fostering youth-led civic leadership in East Kinston, the city embraces innovation grounded in local history, culture, and community strength. Local government, grassroots organizations, and residents work together to address persistent challenges such as climate impacts, housing instability, and public safety through initiatives that center equity and long-term sustainability.
This spirit of collaboration and civic engagement is reflected in the city’s evolving infrastructure, both physical and social. Efforts include building accessible leadership pipelines, preserving historic landmarks, planning inclusive economic strategies, and revitalizing neighborhoods. Kinston continues to show what’s possible when all voices are heard. The following three projects highlight how a shared commitment to inclusiveness, youth leadership, and civic pride is shaping a more resilient and thriving Kinston.
Emma Webb Park Master Plan: A Community-Driven Approach to Revitalization and Resilience
Emma Webb Park, a 7-acre historic park in the heart of Kinston, had long been underutilized and in disrepair, with outdated amenities and a degraded natural stream system that contributed to neighborhood flooding. Located in a flood-prone area, the park’s deteriorating infrastructure made it unsafe and inaccessible, particularly for children and families in a community with limited recreational options.
To guide a transformation rooted in community needs, the City of Kinston partnered with the American Flood Coalition, Design Workshop, and Kinston Teens to launch an inclusive engagement process. Over 350 residents shared input through surveys, listening sessions, and pop-up park events. Youth from Kinston Teens conducted door-to-door outreach, ensuring flood-impacted households helped shape the project.
This collaborative effort resulted in the Emma Webb Park Master Plan—a community-driven roadmap prioritizing flood mitigation, accessibility, and expanded recreation. Planned improvements include stream restoration, walking trails, basketball courts, a splash pad, and an ADA-accessible playground.
With $1 million in local and state funding secured, construction is underway on Phase 1. Future phases will feature cultural programming, climate education, and public art. The project is a model for integrating resilience, equity, and community-led design to create safe, inclusive public spaces.
East Kinston Neighborhood Hub and Community Visioning for Equitable Development
East Kinston is one of the city’s most historically and culturally rich neighborhoods—but decades of disinvestment, population decline, and flooding have taken a toll. Residents have long lacked access to essentials like grocery stores, quality housing, and economic opportunity. Despite a strong sense of community, East Kinston has often been left out of key planning decisions, deepening social and environmental inequities.
In response, Kinston Teens and its partners launched a community-led equitable development initiative to ensure East Kinston residents are centered in shaping the future of their neighborhood. Through neighborhood meetings, visioning sessions, and more than 500 in-person conversations, residents identified priorities including affordable housing, food access, small business support, and climate resilience. Culturally grounded strategies like storytelling, oral histories, and neighborhood block parties helped root the process in East Kinston’s legacy.
A key outcome has been the creation of the East Kinston Neighborhood Hub, a resident-led space offering fresh food, hygiene supplies, digital literacy training, leadership workshops, and a safe place to gather. The accompanying Equitable Development Plan formalized community priorities and is now guiding citywide strategies.
The East Kinston Neighborhood Hub and Equitable Development Plan effort was the basis for a $20 million EPA Community Change Grant application, though the funding has not yet been secured due to the change in administration.
Downtown Kinston Mural Program: Strengthening Civic Engagement Through Public Art
Once known as the “Magic Mile,” downtown Kinston had lost its vibrancy. Vacant buildings and underused spaces left the area disconnected, while many residents—especially young people and historically marginalized groups—felt excluded from shaping the city’s future.
To reignite civic pride and economic activity, the City of Kinston launched the Downtown Kinston Mural Program in 2019 with support from a $100,000 NEA Our Town grant. Led by the Planning Department in partnership with the Kinston Community Council for the Arts and a citizen-led Mural Selection Committee, the initiative commissioned seven murals along Queen Street, turning blank walls into powerful public storytelling spaces.
Community engagement was at the heart of the project. A 14-member selection committee guided the process, and artists were required to hold public forums and incorporate resident feedback. Two murals honored Kinston’s Civil Rights legacy, including tributes to Alice Hannibal, the city’s first Black woman councilmember, and the 1951 Adkin High School Walkout.
The murals brought new energy to downtown, attracting foot traffic, sparking intergenerational conversations about justice and identity, and encouraging local property investment. Businesses reported increased engagement, and youth participated through leadership by Kinston Teens.
Now a model for community-centered placemaking, the program is expanding into other neighborhoods. The city has committed to preserving the murals and exploring digital tools like augmented reality experiences and QR codes to enhance education.
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