A Cultural Trail for South Bend
SBGC is a community-led effort to build a greenway in South Bend. This linear park, as a series of linked public gardens and green spaces, will be an amenity for residents and a world-class destination for visitors. It will integrate the westside’s extraordinary architectural, educational, and historical treasures into a cohesive cultural corridor — one connected to the heart of downtown and to other trails.
Unique Placemaking
Members of the Near West Side community and other partners formed South Bend Greenway Conservancy in 2023 to add capacity to the neighborhood’s ability to build a linear park. The vision calls for a mile-long interpretative trail from the MLK Dream Center to the Salvation Army’s Kroc Center.
A String of Pearls
The trail will connect some of the city’s most significant landmarks “like a string of pearls.” It will feature ecologically rich gardens, public art, educational signage, and communal gathering spaces to celebrate the people and places of South Bend. Come see for yourself.
A Neighborhood Asks for a Park
The asphalt art installation, in 2024, designed by artist Chris Silva and painted under his direction by community members.
The idea for a linear park emerged during the Near West Side’s 20-year planning process in 2021. Residents asked city planners for a more vibrant and walkable neighborhood and highlighted priorities for calmer traffic, in-fill housing — and a park.
As the oldest residential neighborhood in South Bend, the area has a long, storied history. It was hit hard in the 20th century by the discriminatory policy of redlining, industrial environmental hazards, and economic devastation when factories closed. It also has a decades-long legacy of people joining together to celebrate, sustain, and revitalize their community.
A linear park builds upon that legacy. In June 2024, the greenway effort launched with an asphalt art installation. The temporary artwork spanned the geographic and cultural heart of the neighborhood on W. Washington Street. It connected the IU South Bend’s Civil Rights Heritage Center (the former Natatorium) with Notre Dame W. Washington (the former Hansel Center), both century-old landmarks in the city.
How It’s Coming Together
Navarre Cabin
2023
The History Museum received permission in 2023 to relocate the Navarre Cabin, the oldest structure in the county, to its campus. The museum’s Navarre Homestead site marks a significant landmark along the Cultural Trail.
Community Planning
2024
SBGC received its first grant in 2024, from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. With help from interns in Notre Dame’s Center for Civic Innovation, SBGC gathered data and surveyed community members on transforming key vacant lots.
Green Alley Project
2026
The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County awarded a special projects grant to SBGC for its first infrastructure project. The Green Alley at W. Colfax creates a critical link between the historic City Cemetery and the institutions on W. Washington Street.
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