Jackson Revitalizes Historic Farish Street With Green Spaces

Community groups and city leaders aim to transform the once-bustling district through green infrastructure projects.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Jackson, Mississippi is turning to green infrastructure projects to revitalize the historic Farish Street district, which was once a hub for Black businesses and culture but has fallen on hard times in recent decades. Community groups like 2C Mississippi are creating a new green commons area on Farish Street, while the city is also expanding its Museum Trail greenway to connect downtown to Jackson State University. Other initiatives include restoring the Mississippi River Basin Model, a historic engineering project, and developing a new public green space called Margaret Ann Crigler Park next to two major museums.

Why it matters

Farish Street was once the center of Black life in Jackson, but the neighborhood has struggled with shuttered businesses and empty sidewalks in recent years. These green infrastructure projects aim to breathe new life into the historic district, providing community gathering spaces, reducing extreme heat, and catalyzing economic development. The broader efforts to connect parks, museums, and other public spaces across Jackson also seek to improve mobility, public health, and quality of life for residents.

The details

The Farish Street Commons project, led by 2C Mississippi, will create a new green space along the historic boulevard, featuring around 100 drought and heat-resistant native trees and plants to provide shade and cooling for the neighborhood. Meanwhile, the planned expansion of Jackson's Museum Trail will extend the existing greenway all the way from downtown to Jackson State University, linking museums and parks in the northeast part of the city. Another key initiative is the restoration of the Mississippi River Basin Model, a historic government engineering project, which volunteers hope to turn into an educational STEM center. The city is also developing Margaret Ann Crigler Park next to the Two Mississippi Museums campus, which will serve as an event space and outdoor classroom for museum visitors.

  • Construction on the first phase of the Museum Trail expansion is expected to begin in March.
  • The initial construction phase of Margaret Ann Crigler Park is expected to be completed by spring 2027.
  • 2C Mississippi plans to have the initial construction of the Farish Street Commons completed this spring, in time for the neighborhood's historic Juneteenth celebrations.

The players

Dorothy Davis

A longtime resident of the Farish Street neighborhood who is part of the effort to revitalize the area through the Farish Street Commons project.

2C Mississippi

An environmental nonprofit organization working with community members like Dorothy Davis to create the new green space on Farish Street.

Great City Mississippi Foundation

An organization working to boost mobility and quality of life for Jackson residents by connecting parks, museums, and other public spaces, and which hosted the 2025 Parks & Trails Forum that highlighted these revitalization efforts.

Travis Crabtree

A landscape architect affiliated with the Great City Mississippi Foundation.

Tommy Goodwin

The Deputy Director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which is managing the development of the Margaret Ann Crigler Park next to the Two Mississippi Museums.

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What they’re saying

“It's my heart. I've lived in the neighborhood since I was eight years old, and I've watched shuttered storefronts and empty sidewalks steadily replace its once-bustling crowds.”

— Dorothy Davis (Mississippi Free Press)

“If you follow the Atlanta Beltline or the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans, they're now concentrating a lot of their residential and commercial development along those greenways. We're hoping that this greenway... will help to catalyze that, and provide a strong pedestrian connection between Jackson State and downtown.”

— Travis Crabtree, Landscape Architect, Great City Mississippi Foundation (Mississippi Free Press)

“It's going to be like almost doubling the size of the museums. We're going to suddenly have this huge green space that we'll be able to use for all kinds of things, whether it's educational programming or concerts.”

— Tommy Goodwin, Deputy Director, Mississippi Department of Archives and History (Mississippi Free Press)

What’s next

The Mississippi Legislature is expected to consider a request from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for an additional $2 million in funding for the Margaret Ann Crigler Park project during the current legislative session.

The takeaway

By investing in green infrastructure projects like the Farish Street Commons, the Museum Trail expansion, and the restoration of the Mississippi River Basin Model, Jackson is working to revitalize historic neighborhoods, improve quality of life for residents, and catalyze economic development in the capital city. These efforts demonstrate how community-driven initiatives and public-private partnerships can transform urban spaces and reconnect people to their local environment.