Students, faculty and community members gathered this week at a dirt lot in University Village to help transform an underutilized space into a new community park, marking a significant step in ongoing efforts to revitalize the area.
The project was made possible through a , a partnership between the City of Reno and Bloomberg's Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University that funds neighborhood improvement projects. This initiative aims to empower residents to revitalize their blocks in creative ways through grants that can range from $500 to $5,000. Improvements consist of greener and more shaded spaces, community-driven neighborhood improvements and city cleanup.
The project began with Kahlo Smith, MFA '26, a University Village resident, who applied for a Love Your Block grant earlier this year.
University Village is a 2.29-acre housing community south of the main University campus designed to provide affordable, high-quality housing for faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students at the University. The project combines the renovation of historic 1920s-era homes with modern upgrades, helping strengthen the University community while preserving an important part of Reno’s architectural heritage.
Smith moved to the University Village neighborhood in November and said she’s made a concerted effort, with continued support from the University's Office of Community and Real Estate Management, to build a strong sense of community.
During the cleanup this week, Smith helped organize the volunteers. Armed with shovels, wheelbarrows and work gloves, they spent hours leveling ground, building concrete garden beds and planting trees beneath Reno's summer sun.
“It was awesome to see everyone out together getting their hands in the soil and really collaborating to bring this community vision to life,” she said. “The city has worked on fixing up the roads in our area and the University has put a lot of effort into rejuvenating the houses as people are moving in. The park is going to be one more great addition that’s making the neighborhood more neighborly.”
Neoma Jardon, executive director of Downtown Reno Partnership, leveled ground for new bushes and trees.
“Residents and students are the backbone of revitalizing downtown, especially these areas,” she said. "Having people be part of the neighborhood’s construction and revitalization bodes well for its future."
Reno Councilmember Kathleen Taylor, who represents Ward 1 and the University District, also joined the clean up event.
“It is a perfect example of public/private partnerships working together,” she said. “It definitely demonstrates the community that we all know and love here in Reno and with the University.”
As construction continues, organizers hope the park will become a gathering place for students and residents alike, further strengthening connections between the University and the surrounding community.
“There is a real sense of hope and joy at seeing how readily a community can come together when someone has an idea for a project,” Smith said. "We all have the power to do something, small or large, that will be beneficial and transformative for our neighborhood."
