The physical installation is one piece of a much larger undertaking. Early in planning phases, it became apparent that opening a path through the underpass would bisect a large homeless camp that had been established in the area for many years. The camp was significant not only for its size but also for the internal rules and self-policing that made it more maintained and safer than other local camps. Partnerships and federal funding enabled Action Greensboro to offer permanent housing, which was accepted by about half of camp residents. A number of other residents moved, and collaboration with an adjacent private property owner enabled two individuals to continue living encamped near the original site. As the larger project to connect communities moves forward, this aspect of the work sheds light on the many stakeholders involved in place (re)making and brings to the fore the imperfect complexities of balancing and serving the distinct needs and perspectives that meet in shared public space.
As a downtown revitalization effort and larger economic development project, the greenway’s impact will not be fully known until 2018, when the full loop will be mostly completed. In the meantime, beginning with Morehead Park was a strategic effort, in part an acknowledgement of the need to build partnerships and trust in Warnersville, a long-standing African American community that has struggled to rebound from failed external efforts at urban renewal that resulted in the loss of local businesses and activity. While the investment that has sprung up in other neighborhoods in anticipation of the greenway has not yet manifested in this section, it was important to Action Greensboro to begin their work here. As Dabney Sanders, Project Manager for the Downtown Greenway, emphasized, “We wanted to send a message that the Greenway is equal opportunity to everyone.”
Over.Under.Pass is in this regard indicative of an undercurrent that runs throughout the project: a desire to create connections between communities coupled with commitment to an ongoing and long-term process.